It's Never Too Late
by arwenforlife
Summary: Trusting a so-called friend, caused Mercedes to lose the man she loves. However, with the help of real friends, she finds out that it is never too late for anything...especially when it comes to love.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi there, this is a little something that has been on my mind. I was going to make it a one shot, but it won't let me. However, if I do decide to continue this, it won't be long. I would say probably a two shot, maybe four chapters at the most. I wrote this pretty much in one go, so I hope it makes sense.**

**I do not own Glee or the characters, neither do I know that much about The CMAs. Here goes...**

* * *

Twenty five year old Mercedes Jones sat on her luxurious couch, staring at the frozen image of her estranged boyfriend Sam Evans, with tears cascading down her lovely face.

Just minutes before, he appeared on the Red Carpet of the Country Music Association Awards, accompanied by a hot blonde, hanging off his well defined arm.

As the cameras flashed, capturing the supermodel/country singer from every angle, so too did the memories flashed through Mercedes' mind.

It's been well over a year, since their messy breakup and to her, it still feels as though it happened yesterday.

As she played and replayed his walk on the Red Carpet, her heart shattered to pieces, and every one of those pieces belonged to him and only him.

She admitted that fact, months ago, after not being able to move on. She was ruined, completely and utterly ruined. No man will ever measure up to him.

As her eyes stayed locked on his handsome face, she completely tuned out the world. She didn't hear the door opening, neither did she hear her three best friends enter, their faces wrought with concern.

The only thing she registered, was the feel of multiple arms, lovingly embracing her from all sides. That brought her out of the current state she was in.

* * *

**Twenty minutes before...**

Quinn Fabray, Mercedes' longest and dearest friend, was just watching the Red Carpet coverage of the Country Music Awards, but instinctively had to stop.

With a heavy heart, she picked up her phone and dialed a familiar number.

As she waited for the person on the other end to answer, she looked at the frozen image of her ex high school boyfriend, turned friend and studied his profile.

Her heart plummeted as she comprehensively drew a well thought out conclusion.

As the person came on the line, she unfroze the picture and turned the television off.

"I'm guessing you saw what I saw," the husky voice of Santana Lopez said, over the line.

"Yes, I did. We need to get Kurt and go over to Mercedes. She has to have seen it. Are you going to call him or pick him up?"

Santana hesitated for a beat, then answered saying,

"If I know Lady Hummel, and I do, he's on his way as we speak. I'll meet you there in a few."

They both hung up and made ready to go to their friend.

* * *

As Santana knowingly said, Kurt was indeed on his way, to be with his dear friend.

As he sped towards her sprawling home, he fought the tears that were threatening to spill from his eyes.

"Oh Mercy-me, hold on. I'm on my way."

Mercedes was his best friend. They've been through so much together. She was the first person he came out to, about his sexuality and she has never once held it against him.

Even a brief pause in their relationship, thanks to their now ex friend Rachel Berry, couldn't break them apart. They actually grew stronger and more solid after that and even lived together for a short while.

As thoughts of his ex friend Rachel Berry came to mind, he began to stew.

He along with Quinn and Santana, wholeheartedly believes that she is responsible for the trouble and consequent breakup of their friends' relationship.

On pulling into the driveway of Mercedes' huge property, he heard the friendly honk of another vehicle, and knew who it was right away.

He brought his to a stop and exited, to see Quinn and Santana alighting from theirs. After a brief embrace, the three headed in, to see their mutual friend.

* * *

**Presently...**

"Mercedes, honey are you alright? A worried Kurt asked.

Wiping the tears that were persistently leaking from her eyes, she softly said,

"No...I'm not. It hurts...so bad Kurt..."

She broke off, as her heart-rending sobs echoed around the room.

All three embraced her once again, but whilst Quinn and Kurt were crying, anger burned within Santana. In her mind, she pictured herself giving Rachel Berry the beat down she richly deserves.

The three locked eyes with each other and a silent conversation passed. Quinn, at once moved towards the nearest bathroom, in search of a wet towel to wipe her friend's face. Santana moved towards the kitchen, and begun the process of brewing some strong coffee, while Kurt stayed with Mercedes, silently rocking her in his arms.

On Quinn's return, he pulled back and kindly said,

"Diva, let Quinnie clean you up. You are too fabulous to have a snotty nose and a tear stained face."

This brought a chuckle from her and she shot a grateful look to both him and Quinn. Kurt continued.

"We are going to have some coffee and then, we are going to talk. You are not alone Mercy-me. We are here for you, always...and everything will work out. I sincerely believe that."

Mercedes allowed Quinn to clean her up and although her heart was torn to shreds, she took strength from Kurt's words.

"There, all finished," Quinn said, just before she placed a soft kiss on her cheek. Kurt did the same to the other cheek, just as Santana arrived with their hot drink.

* * *

The four sat quietly, lost in their thoughts and sipping their beverages.

A few minutes later, Mercedes breached the silence.

"Thank you guys. You always have my back...and I couldn't ask for better friends." Her words brought tears to their eyes, even the very tough Santana Lopez.

"I have no one to blame but myself. If I had just...listened..." She left the statement open as tears threatened again.

For the first time since she arrived, Santana spoke.

"I blame the hobbit. She caused this. Her Jewish, selfish ass wanted Trouty for herself. When guppy lips didn't return her advances, is when she decided to play dirty...targeting you. You and guppy were innocent in all of this."

Quinn and Kurt wholeheartedly agreed, both shouting, "Hear, hear!" and nodding vigorously.

Kurt took the opportunity to add his two cents worth.

"I think that, show stealing, talent hogging, b.i.t.c.h always wanted Sam, in my opinion."

Mercedes' eyes snapped to his, as did the others. He went on.

"As I recall, we were having our Monday night Pot Luck dinner, this is just after I was released from hospital. Mercy-me, you and Sam had apparently decided to get back together.

You both arrived with Artie and Sam asked for a drumroll, to announce that you and him were indeed back together. Now, I didn't see this part, but Sam did...he saw the look on that hag's face and he could tell she wasn't happy to hear the two if you back together.

After our heckling about the two of you ever being together, and not seeing any chemistry between you and him, Sam kissed you on the spur of the moment. I don't have to tell you, but I actually saw Rachel fake a smile and quickly changed the subject.

She was jealous of you, always has."

Mercedes' jaw dropped.

This was news to her. Yes, they have warned her in the past about letting Rachel into her personal affairs, but she, with her big heart, never took their warnings serious.

"I didn't know. She acted as though she had my best interest at heart...and I believed her. I am such a fool. Minding her cost me the only man I love.

Back then, she always had something to say about me and Sam...but, mostly him. She was the cause of one particularly bad fight between me and Sam and it hurts me to say this, but, I believed her over him. I don't think he ever got over that. Now that I look back, she was the problem in our relationship and I think it got to a point, where Sam couldn't take it anymore."

* * *

**Flashback...**

_Sam had just returned from a model shoot in Paris, which lasted well over a month, and he couldn't wait to be with his beautiful girlfriend. _

_He knew he was also overdue for some studio time, but that will have to wait. _

_He arrived at their shared home in New York, itching to be with her. By all accounts, she was supposed to be home, she had promised him so. _

_He let himself in, and was surprised to find their home empty, or so he thought. _

_Feeling a little bit put out, he decided to head upstairs to their room, take a shower and change. _

_Inside their room, he placed his bags in the closet, and started stripping out of his clothes. Naked as the day he was born, he placed the clothes in the hamper and proceeded to the bathroom. _

_He took his time bathing the last month off of him as he thought about his lovely girlfriend._

_ "You're so gonna get punished Miss Jones," he said to himself. _

_A huge smile blossomed on his face, at the naughty thoughts that were running through his head. He looked down at his now erect member and cheekily said,_

_ "I can't wait either buddy." _

* * *

_Meanwhile, miss Rachel Berry has been at Sam and Mercedes' home, in one of the guest rooms, wasting the day away. _

_Mercedes had told her of Sam's imminent arrival, and had also told her, to tell him, she has stepped out for a few minutes. _

_Rachel really had no intention of telling Sam anything. In her twisted head, she decided to use that opportunity to make a move...on him._

_ She heard him enter and listened to his heavy footfalls as he came up the stairs. Minutes later, she was at his bedroom door, with her ear pressed to it, trying to pick up any sound or movement. As fate would have it, she heard the shower running. _

_Quietly, she entered the room, and ducked behind the bed, waiting with baited breath. _

* * *

_Sam finished his shower...some other activities, and returned to the bedroom. _

_He walked to his closet to look for something comfortable to put on, and the minute he did so, he felt a strange presence in the room. _

_He turned, his green eyes scanning the length and breadth of the room, but didn't notice anything out of place. Shaking off the feeling, he went back to perusing his clothes. _

_He almost jumped out of his skin, when he felt arms go around his torso and dropped to his towel clad manhood. For some reason, the arms felt all wrong...too skinny and not smooth enough. _

_His eyes instinctively dropped to said arms, the color and size were all wrong too. He grabbed the groping hands and spun the culprit around, almost losing his towel in the process. _

_As he tightened his towel around his waist, his handsome features turned red and stony, and anger rolled off him._

_ "What the hell Rachel. Are you out of your Goddam mind?" _

_The crazy Jew smiled, looking deeply into his eyes and dreamily answered,_

_ "Why would you ask that Sammy? You know that I have always wanted you...you want me too...I can feel..." _

_She was abruptly cut off by a now livid Sam. _

_"What? First of all, don't ever call me Sammy again, secondly, you may want me...but...I. don't. want. you. Now get to hell out of me and my woman's room. You're so lucky that she isn't here. Get out!" _

_His icy words sobered her instantly, also the hard look on his face. She ducked her head like a wounded puppy and exited the room. _

_As she made her way back to the guest room, her twisted mind began to work again. She sat heavily on the bed, allowing idea after idea to run rampant through her head. _

_After a while, anger boiled within her and she decided to hatch up a plan. _

_**"Mercedes have everything. The talent, the record deal, the huge house, and the guy. I have nothing. Why should she get everything?"** she grumbled to herself._

_ Just then, she heard a door close and her curiosity got the better of her. _

_She cracked her door open and peeped outside. Seeing no one, she ventured downstairs._

* * *

_She could faintly hear Mercedes singing softly and a sinister smile appeared on her face. _

_Following the sound of Mercedes' voice, she noted that she was in the kitchen. Just before she entered, her face morphed into someone who was clearly upset and about to cry. _

_She ran to Mercedes, catching her by surprise, and engulfed her in her stringy arms. _

_Fake tears ran down her long face, causing Mercedes much concern. _

_"Rachel, what's wrong? Is it bad news?" Crying 'uncontrollably' the incoherent Rachel stuttered out,_

_ "S...Sam." Mercedes' heart went from beating normal to erratic immediately. _

_"What about him. Is something wrong with him?" she frantically asked. _

_Hearing the panic in Mercedes' voice, she laughed internally. She pulled back wiping her fake tears and quietly said,_

_ "No...nothing is wrong with him. He's here actually..." She was cut off by a relieved Mercedes saying, _

_"Thank God. You had me worried there for a moment." _

_Seeing the happiness returned to her 'friend's' face, she decided to put her plan into action. _

_"He came a short while after you left. I didn't get to tell him your message... I think he was drunk...and upset...that you weren't here. _

_Anyway, he started saying all of these weird things...like...he's always liked me...and you don't have to know...and...and...he...tried to kiss me...but I pushed him off...right away. I told him that you were a good woman and my friend, and he doesn't deserve you." _

_Mercedes stared incredulously at Rachel Berry. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Sam? Her Sam? He would never act this way, but looking at the woman in front of her and seeing her this upset, placed a bit of doubt in her mind. _

_Tears stung the backs of her eyes, but she gathered strength and kindly said,_

_ "I'm sorry you had to go through that Rachel. I will talk to Sam. There has to be an explanation for this. You can let yourself out. Can you please excuse me?" _

_Fake tears were replaced by fake concern, as she embrace Mercedes and said,_

_ "I'll call you later."_

* * *

_Mercedes felt as though her whole world had fallen apart, as she walked slowly up the stairs, heading to her room. _

_Sam, on the other hand, was still reeling from the incident. _

_He tried breathing exercises to calm the anger that he was feeling towards Rachel. When that didn't work, he filled his mind with thoughts about the woman he loved more than anything. _

_His composure shattered, as she entered their room and he saw the look on her face. He moved towards her, seeking to take her in his arms, but she took a few steps back and held her arms out, to stop him. _

_"Baby? What's going on?" he warily asked. _

_Mercedes' heart missed a beat. Seeing him standing there in the flesh, after not seeing him for over a month, she almost forgot about everything and jumped his bones._

_ "You tell me Sam. I met Rachel downstairs and she had a lot to say." _

_At that, Sam knew exactly what she was speaking about and why she was acting so aloof._

_ "Look baby, I don't know what...that...what Rachel told you, but she is not your friend. She was in our room, when I came out of the shower...waiting for me. You know what she said to me? She said she's always wanted me and that I want her. She called me Sammy, for God's sakes, no one else but you, my mom or my sister calls me that." _

_Truth rolled off of Sam in waves, but it made no sense for Rachel to tell her lies. She all but said that to him._

_ "Look, Rachel can't gain anything by telling me lies, she's my friend." Anger welled up in Sam. _

_"And I can? I've always been upfront with you and I've never cheated on you and I never will. She is not your friend Mercedes. She's twisted as shit. She groped me...my penis. I had just come from showering and I was naked, except for a towel..." _

_He was cut off by Mercedes saying, "I never said that you cheated on me Sam, but I don't know what to believe. This is...messed up. She thinks that you are drunk. Are you?"_

* * *

_Sam couldn't believe his ears. He couldn't believe that the woman he loves would take someone else's word over his._

_ "You should believe the man you love. For you to ask if I'm drunk...that hurts. You know me Mercedes. I'm not a drinker...a social drink once in a while, but that's it. I came home just to be with you... I missed you...so much. _

_There is so much temptation out there, not just in the field of modeling, but, as a singer, you know that...but you know what? Just like you, I haven't once been tempted to take the bait. _

_There's a reason for that. It's because, I love you Mercedes Jones...more than anything in this world. The perks from being rich and successful doesn't matter to me...you do. I would give it all, just to have you as mines...for eternity. _

_Standing here and having you question that, destroyed me. There's been so many times that Rachel Berry has given you 'advice', which, in fact, didn't benefit you or our relationship one iota. _

_She tried to get you to move on with your career and leave me, because, in her words, **'Sam will only hold you back'.** I was just getting a foothold in the modeling world, didn't have a record deal...didn't even have a job, and she wanted you to abandon me._

_ I could go on about the things she did and the 'advice' she gave, but I think deep down, you know exactly what I'm talking about. You are a sensible woman Mercedes and you have a choice to make." _

_With that, he stormed from their room, and as he pulled the door open, he almost ran over Rachel, who was eavesdropping on their every word. _

_The look he gave her was murderous. For the first time in his life, he felt like hitting a woman. He shook his head, froze her in an angry green stare and said to her, "You will get your just rewards."_

* * *

**Presently...**

Quinn and Kurt were speechless. They knew Rachel was destructive, but they never knew she had stooped so low. Santana, on the other hand knew.

"Just say the words Wheezy. That Broadway reject needs a good beat down, Lima Heights Adjacent style."

Mercedes stood from her seat.

She walked to the other side and planted a grateful kiss on her Latina friend's cheek, trying to calm her. She looked at all of her friends and earnestly said,

"Forget about Rachel. She'll get what's coming to her and more. Trust me. Right now I need to get Sam back, before it's too late."

She began to doubt herself at this point.

"You guys don't think it's too late, do you? she worriedly asked.

All three had something to say, but it was Quinn's words that gave her the push to make her move. Kurt said,

"It's never too late. Sam loves you Mercy-me. I sincerely believe that." Santana said,

"Listen Aretha, I'm not into this mushy crap, but I know that 'Fish lips Evans' loves you. That white chocolate loves him some sexy dark chocolate."

That broke the tension in the room.

Quinn was the last to speak, she said,

"Mercy, before I came over here, I was watching the CMA Red Carpet coverage and the moment I saw Sam entered, I froze his image on the screen. What I saw, gave me reason to believe that he's still unequivocally in love with you.

People saw him with a woman hanging off his arm, and smiling, but I saw a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes and those very green eyes full of pain. We all know that anybody who's somebody, hire people to accompany them to special occasions. I have no doubt that this is one of those times. You need to make the first move Mercedes...call him...or better yet, go to him."

Taking strength from her friend's words, she calmly said,

"I'm going to Tennessee."

The other three locked eyes, again conversing silently. As they watched their mutual friend make her way upstairs to put things in order, Kurt clapped his hands excitedly and said,

"Blaine and I are way overdue for a trip.

Quinn said, "I need a holiday," and Santana said,

"Me and Brits need to get away, plus, I know of a certain hobbit who's living not too far from there. She's going to rue the day she meddled with Wheezy and Trouty."

* * *

**Well, that's it. Worth continuing or not? You tell me.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you for your great response and for your continued support. The first part of this chapter shows what was happening with Sam before he made his Red Carpet appearance and the minute he did.**

**I do not own Glee or the characters.**

* * *

Samuel Dwight Evans was not a happy man.

For two straight days, he's been arguing with his publicist and his manager.

He wanted to attend the CMAs with one woman, his woman, but since that wasn't likely happen, he made up his mind to go alone.

This is where the arguments started.

"You're a star Sam, a top model, a celebrity…how would it look if you attended an event this big alone?"

"You're young, eligible, hot and currently single, any woman would be happy to attend such a lavish affair with you."

"You're a nice guy Sam. People love you, especially women, think about the message you would be sending to them, if you attend this show alone."

He felt just about ready to take off his head and put it aside, just for a short while. If only he could.

He had barely consented to them hiring a female escort to go with him, just hours before the scheduled start of the show, and he regretted it instantly.

Just as he was getting ready to go, his publicist started explaining to the escort, whose name was Kiera, exactly what was expected of her.

He tuned out the world in that moment, allowing his thoughts to drift to the only woman he loved or could ever love on planet Earth.

_'She should be here with me. I miss her…so much. I wonder what she will say when she see's me with Kita…Keisha…Ki…whatever the hell her name is,'_ he rambled internally._ 'Probably hate me more than she already does,'_ he finished.

He arrived at the venue in style, in a black sleek stretched Limo.

The moment he stepped out on the Red Carpet with Kiera, the cameras started flashing. Trying hard to remember all that his two new 'enemies' told him, he flashed the fakest smile he could muster and moved on as quickly as he could.

* * *

Meanwhile, Mercedes had just managed to book an emergency flight to Tennessee and was on her way to the airport.

When she arrived there, she saw Santana and Brittany, Kurt and Blaine and her dear Quinnie, chatting excitedly amongst themselves.

Her first thought was, that they had all come to see her off, but looking closely at them, she saw that they were dressed differently, as if they were going out somewhere and each had a bag beside them.

"You guys…what's going on?" she asked. The fiery Latina spoke up.

"Well Aretha, me and Brits needs a vacation. Lady Hummel and Bowtie Slick needs one too and of course our very own ice queen Quinn, needs to get out of here, meet a man and get laid. With that said, we're all going to Tennessee."

Everyone was struck speechless.

Those who were in earshot threw weird looks in their direction but moved on without saying anything. There was only one thing for Mercedes to say after that,

"Tennessee, here we come."

* * *

The two-and-a-half-hour flight was uneventful.

Arriving at Nashville International Airport was bittersweet for Mercedes. Memories of the many times she had passed through there with Sam, brought tears to her eyes.

Sensing this, Santana reached for her hand and kindly said,

"Come on Chica, no crying. You're here for a reason, we all are. Let's get going…no time to waste."

This brought a smile to Mercedes' face. She turned to all of them and asked,

"Where are you guys staying?"

The looks on their faces spoke volumes. The answer was as clear as day.

"I'm guessing with me. Right?" A chorus of "Right" sounded and she playfully rolled her eyes "Figures," she said and led the way forward.

Outside the airport, they all bundled into a minivan and headed to a place called, Mulberry Lavender Farm and BB.

* * *

A little over an hour-and-a-half later, they pulled into the historic 1860's Farmhouse and BB, formerly owned by the older brother of famous distiller, Jack Daniel.

Normally, people go there to shop in the Farm store or stay the night to relax and unwind, but Mercedes decided to rent the entire place out for two weeks, but still allowing the place to operate their Farm store.

"Oh my gaga! Mercy-me, this is fabulous."

Everyone concurred with Kurt's assessment of the place. After a few minutes of checking it out, everyone decided on the rooms they were going to stay in.

Kurt and Blaine paired up and chose theirs, so too did Santana and Brittany. Quinn chose hers and Mercedes decided on the Private Guest Cottage.

"You guys get comfortable, rest up and we will meet back here in a couple of hours. You're of course welcomed to come over and check out the cottage, whenever you like," Mercedes said.

Ever the gentleman, Blaine stepped forward, took her bags, offered her his arm and proceeded to escort her to the Cottage.

Just as she reached the door, Brittany ran forward and placed a sweet kiss on her cheek, and said,

"Thank you Mercedes. You're the best."

The gesture warmed her. She gently squeezed Brittany's hand and mouthed her appreciation, as she resumed her place beside Blaine.

* * *

Inside the Cottage, Mercedes sat at one of the windows which was facing a field of Lavender flowers, pondering her next move.

She knows that it will be hours before she can make any contact with Sam. He'll most likely be in the winner's circle at the Awards and then, there is the After-party, which he will have to attend.

Her heart burned at the thought of him being there with another woman and not her.

_ 'Being stubborn and gullible…no….being foolish…landed me in this position. Rachel or not, I blame myself,'_ she said to herself.

A weary sigh escaped her. She turned from the window, moved towards the bed and started to unpack.

* * *

Over in the main house, the others skipped unpacking to convene on two subjects, **_"Operation Get Sam and Mercedes back Together' and Operation Take down the Hobbit aka, Rachel.'_ **

Santana was in her element. Anger rolled off her thin frame, radiating all around the room.

"That hobbit! She's been living in Madison for the last eight months. Last time I checked, that's just about an hour away from here."

Everyone except Brittany, snapped to attention. Kurt's features morphed into one of disdain.

"I knew she was somewhere close, but not that close. Is she still after Sam?" he asked.

Santana replied, "I hope so, because the beat down will be so much more sweeter and warranted." Quinn turned serious eyes on their mutual friend.

"We all want a piece of that home wrecker, but we need to think this through. Mercy will not be keen to the idea of us jumping that freak, even though she knows it's more than what she deserves. The best way for us to deal with this, is by going the logical route…I don't mind shaming her, but anything physical could land us all in jail."

An angry Santana stepped forward until she was standing in the center of the group.

"Look Quinn, I get that, but she brought this on herself. Aretha and Trouty should be together…happy and could possibly be married now, who knows, but that scheming wench decided that it wasn't to be. When I get through with her, no Broadway theater, no movie director, heck no one around the music business will want anything to do with her."

All eyes stayed glued to Santana.

There was a glint in her eyes, and it spoke volumes to the others. There was no stopping her. She knew it and they knew it.

"She messed with the wrong people…and she gots to pay," she finished.

The room went silent for a few minutes after that. Blaine cleared his throat and surprised the heck out of Kurt and everyone by saying,

"Well…I don't know about you guys, but count me in Santana."

The others had no choice after that. It was all or nothing. They bounced ideas off of each other, some cruel and unusual, some downright evil. One thing they all agreed upon was, Mercedes couldn't know the extent of their plans for Rachel, neither could she know when it was going down.

* * *

A few minutes after they had run out of sensible ideas, Santana went to the other side of the room and made a call to someone.

The room went silent as she begun to speak.

"Hey, what do you have for me?" she asked the person on the line.

She continued to chat and ask questions, as the others picked up the one-sided conversation.

Kurt looked to Quinn, catching her attention and mouthed to her, "Who is that?"

Quinn was just as puzzled as him and the others. With a shrug of her shoulders, she mouthed back, "Beats me."

After a while, Santana hung up and joined the others, who were all sitting and waiting with questions in their eyes. She held up her slender hand and cheekily said,

"You will find out who that is in good time. I gots connections."

Stumped but totally taking her at her word, they decided to tackle the next subject.

* * *

Meanwhile, Sam's anger had turned to misery. He was on a high earlier at the awards when he won Male Vocalist of the Year and Song of the Year. He quickly came down from that high when he looked around and Mercedes wasn't there to celebrate with him.

He, however, thanked her in his acceptance speech, although he didn't actually call her by name.

_'Finally, I want to thank the one person in this world who not only inspires me to write music and perform it, but…who inspires me to be the man that I am. She's the most beautiful woman in the world to me and no matter where we are, apart or not, I will always love her. No one else comes close. This is for my M.J."_

As the last part of his speech reverberated through his head, he decided that it was time to leave the After-party. He had ditched his 'date' and was flying solo for the last two hours, so it was easy for him to disappear.

He made his way through the throngs of patrons, some clamoring for his attention, and though he stopped briefly to say hello, or take a photo with a few, he never lost sight of his mission.

On the outside, he found his driver, got in and exited the scene.

Half-an-hour later, he was home.

* * *

The minute he stepped through his door, his phone started ringing. He looked at the caller ID, noting that it was his publicist and refused to answer.

He made his way to his room and started stripping out of his clothes. His intention was to take a long soak in his huge bathtub, but before he could turn on the water, his phone rang again.

This time the caller ID brought a smile to his handsome features.

"Hi mom, hi everyone," she spoke into the phone.

The Evans family were in absolute jubilation about Sam's double win at the awards. They watched the entire show, starting with the Red-Carpet coverage and now they were calling to congratulate him.

His family knew him well. They knew that he wouldn't be feeling the event, especially the After-party and that the first chance he got, he would be out of there.

"Hi son, you did it...twice!" Mary Evans shouted out.

"Let me put you on speaker, your dad and the twins are here," she continued. Sam all but laughed out loud. This was his crazy family and he loved them.

_'Sam Evans, you are crazy,'** she'd**_ said back in high school. _'Crazy about you,'_ he'd countered, and he meant every word, even to this day.

"Sammy! Hi Sam and Son," was said respectively by his sister Stacy, his brother Stevie and his dad Dwight.

"Hi guys, you're all up late. Did you enjoy the show?" he asked. A chorus of "Yes, we did," came over the phone and he chuckled at their obvious excitement.

"My favorite parts was when you won," Stacy said. This caused the others to say, "Mine too," and he chuckled even louder.

"Aaw, thank you guys. You're the best, but everyone else was just as good or better," he replied. Stevie piped up with,

"Not better than my big bro…hey…when are you coming to Kentucky to visit us?"

The question stumped Sam.

He had promised his mom that the next time he came home, he would have Mercedes with him. He was there a couple months ago and after a heart to heart with his mom, he had made the promise.

"Uhm…I'm not sure pal…but I'm hoping it will be soon. Is that okay?" Stevie's twin elbowed him and cut her eyes at him. The wise eighteen year old said,

"Sammy, don't let Stevie bully you into coming home before you are ready. He knows that you are busy. Come whenever you feel to."

Before the twins could get into bickering over the phone, their dad said,

"Okay, that's enough. Say goodnight to your brother and let mom and me get a word in." In unison, the twins cheerfully said,

"Goodnight Sammy, we love you."

With that, they were marching out of the room, barely making out the sound of their brother's voice as he returned their sentiments.

Shaking his head as he locked eyes with his wife, Dwight said, "Congratulations son. I'm proud of you."

Sam was touched. His father was a quiet man, he didn't get excited about things as easily as his wife did, but family mattered to him. He loved his kids to every fault and stood behind their every dream, as if it was his own.

Tears stung his eyes as he thought of the hardships the family had to overcome to be where they are today. Of course, he played a major role in getting them to a comfortable place, but he wouldn't short-change the sacrifices his parents made for him and his siblings back then, for the world.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, he quietly said, "Thank you dad."

* * *

By now, tears were running down Mary Evans' face. She leaned into her husband's sturdy chest and silently sobbed. Not wanting to alarm Sam, Dwight changed the subject.

"Have you made any contact with Mercedes at all, son? It seems as though she skipped out on this year's awards."

Sam cleared his throat audibly. He wasn't sure how to respond to his father, but he did anyway.

"Uhm…I tried to…but I chickened out. She didn't come to the awards…I'm guessing it's because, she knew I was going to be there...I'm so frustrated dad. Sometimes I regret walking away…I should have stayed and fight harder, a stronger man would have. A strong man is able to intercept at will the communication between the senses and the mind and I don't believe I did that."

The pain and raw emotion in their son's voice, floored Dwight and Mary, who stopped sobbing at once.

"Listen here Sammy, let me tell you a bit about being a strong man. First of all, it's better to be a strong man with a weak point, than to be a weak man with a strong point. Secondly, a strong man doesn't have to be dominant toward a woman. He doesn't match his strength against a weak woman with love for him. He matches it against the world. Lastly, it takes a strong man to be in a relationship with a strong woman, and we all know Mercedes is a strong woman...in her faith, her beliefs, her family, friends and the person she loves. You shouldn't blame yourself Sammy. That twisted…she-demon Rachel caused this. Mercedes has a big heart. You know that. She doesn't have a bad bone in her body. Poor soul, she must've been torn between you and that…person."

"I get that mom, but she believed her over me. That was a slap in the face, knowing the woman I love, would give someone the benefit of the doubt before me. Sometimes, I get so mad, I feel like I could just hop the quickest plane to New York, march right up to our home…her home now...and tell her I'm staying and we're going to work things out."

His dad asked, "What's stopping you son?"

Sam thought about the question for a beat. There was nothing physically stopping him from doing it, well, maybe there was. In a small defeated voice, he said,

"Maybe she has moved on…with someone else." Crushed at the tone of her son's voice, Mary decided to inject a little hope in the conversation.

"I highly doubt that Sammy. That's not who she is. I bet she's just as miserable as you are son. That girl loves you…a love like that doesn't go away so easy."

"I hope so."

"I know so. That was a great acceptance speech by the way. I hope she sees it, if she hasn't by now."

A faint smile graced his features at the thought of her seeing his speech.

"I hope so too, mom. I just miss her so much…I would give anything just to be with her again."

Mary Evans locked eyes with her husband again and a silent conversation passed between them. She chose her words wisely and spoke directly to her son.

"Listen son, I have faith in yours and Mercedes' love and I sincerely believe this impasse between the two of you will come to an end soon. You love her and she loves you. Never lose sight of that. There will always be someone or something trying to come between you and her…sometimes on purpose, sometimes not, that's just how life is. There's no magic wand when these things happen, the only thing to do…is to stick together and keep in mind that there won't always be smooth sailing. Fight, but fight clean and don't let the sun go down without coming to some sort of resolution. Do you hear me son?"

A contemplative Sam answered, "I hear you mom. As usual, your advice and words of wisdom are spot on. Thank you."

Hearing the tone in Sam's voice sounding more hopeful, Mary smiled and said,

"You don't have to thank me son...I'm your mother and I will spend my last breath if I have to, trying to put you and the twins right. Now, it's late, Dad and I will let you go, we know it's been a long night for you, and you need your rest. Call us any time...we're here for you."

Dwight piped in saying, "Never forget that son…and have faith, everything will work out."

"I will dad. Thank you and thank you mom. I love you both. Night."

"We love you too Sammy. Have a good night yah hear?"

* * *

After hanging up, Sam decided to continue with his earlier plans of taking a long soak in the tub.

He had so much to think about and the tub was the ideal place to sit and ponder what was on his mind. As he ran the water, his first thoughts were drawn to Mercedes and a sad smile evolved on his face.

_"I miss you so much baby. It would kill me to know that you're with someone else…I just couldn't accept that…but I'd have to…if they make you happy,'_ he said to himself.

Sadly, he folded a towel to make a head rest and entered the tub, to soak his misery away.

* * *

Almost two hours away, over in Madison Alabama, the Mark C Smith Concert Hall had just closed. This night, like the past four nights has been a total success, with sold out audiences every night.

One Rachel Berry has been the star of the show each night, and her ego has inflated to ten times the size of her head.

She started out as the understudy to the leading lady, Sunshine Corazon, but her scheming, show hogging ways reared its ugly head, and before Sunshine knew what was happening, she was out, and Rachel was in.

The term _'sleeping your way to the top,'_ was personified by her. It didn't matter if the man, or woman, in the position was married or not, she used what little feminine wiles she had, seduced them or flat out offered herself to them and moved on to the next person, up ahead.

As she disrobed out of her stage get-up, she haughtily called out to the costume attendant to come and assist her.

"Hey, Sunshine, I need help. You don't get paid for standing around doing nothing. I know that you might be a bit overwhelmed…after all…you're in the presence of greatness...but...you need to take the stars from your eyes and do your job."

Sunshine kept her mouth closed.

Inside her head she was having the best laugh at the soon to be Broadway reject. _'You're so going to get what's coming to you…you Barbara wannabe,'_ she screamed internally.

She, however, diligently went about her job and helped the 'star' out of her costume and into her regular clothes.

* * *

**That's it for this chapter. I hope it was worth reading. Thank you and much love to you.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi there, thank you for your continued support of this and my other stories. I appreciate it more than I can express. **

**I do not own Glee or the characters and I'm not affiliated with Famous Saloon or Famous Bar.**

**Fairly long chapter. Here goes...**

* * *

A new day dawned and found everyone settled in at Mulberry Lavender Farm and B&B.

The gang in the main house didn't get to sleep until the wee hours of the morning, and they awoke to find that almost half of the day had already gone.

The first thing they decided to do after their 'morning' rituals, was to go over to the cottage to see how Mercedes was doing.

Quinn was in the lead, whilst the others walked in pairs with their mates.

As they neared the front door, she turned to them, shushing their soft chatter. The sad strains of their mutual friend's voice flowed out to them, as she sung, pouring every ounce of her heartbreak into each word.

_Car is parked, bags are packed, but what kind of heart doesn't look back,  
At the comfortable glow from the porch, the one I will still call yours,  
All those words, came un-done, and now I'm not the only one,  
Facing the ghosts that decide if the fire inside still burns._

* * *

The five friends stopped, dead in their tracks, listening to the hurt emanating from Mercedes' voice. It tore at their insides.

_All I have, all I need, he's the air I would kill to breathe,  
Holds my love in his hands, Still I'm searching for something,  
Out of breath, I am left, hoping someday,  
I'll breathe again, I'll breathe again._

Kurt was the first to crack. Tears streamed down his porcelain features as he clung to Blaine, who was just barely holding himself together.

_Open up, next to you, and my secrets become your truth,  
And the distance between that was sheltering me comes in full view,  
Hang my head, break my heart, built from all I have torn apart,  
And my burden to bear, is a love I can't carry anymore._

Poor Brittany. Her face was completely cloaked in sadness, but she couldn't cry, because, the anger that was radiating off of Santana, held her tears at bay. She instead had to channel all of her energy into holding her girlfriend as tight as she could, before she stormed off and murder Rachel Berry.

_All I have, all I need, he's the air I would kill to breathe,  
Holds my love in his hands, still I'm searching for something,  
Out of breath, I am left, hoping someday  
I'll breathe again, I'll breathe again_

_Ooh, it hurts to be here,  
I only wanted love from you,  
It hurts to be here,  
What am I gonna do?_

* * *

Quinn on the other hand, broke down and dropped to the ground, sobbing her heart out for her dear friend. Every one of them felt Mercedes' heartbreak. They were all there at some point to witness her try to put her life back together after her split from Sam, even offer her advice. Blaine gently released his hold on Kurt and moved to Quinn's side, helping her off the ground.

_All I have, all I need, he's the air I would kill to breathe  
Holds my love in his hands, still I'm searching...  
All I have, all I need, he's the air I would kill to breathe  
Holds my love in his hands, still I'm searching for something_

_Out of breath I am left, hoping someday,  
I'll breathe again, Ill breathe again  
I'll breathe again, I'll breathe again  
I'll breathe again, I'll breathe again._

* * *

As the words of the song died down, Blaine quietly said,

"Come on Quinn. Be strong…in fact, all of us need to be strong…for Mercedes. Let's not forget why we are here…to get her and Sam back together. Take a moment, dry your tears, get yourselves together and then, let's go see our friend. She's needing us right about now."

A few minutes later, the group were fairly composed and eager to see their friend.

An angry Santana Lopez, pounded her palm and snarled, "That hobbit is going to pay."

* * *

Inside the cottage, Mercedes was still reeling from abject heartache, as the words of the song died on her lips. She sat looking a photo of Sam, sitting in his black boxer briefs, playing the guitar.

The photo was a favorite of hers. A sad smile evolved on her face as she remembered the day she took it.

_It was a sunny Saturday in August and Mercedes decided to clean the house from top to bottom. _

_How she roped Sam into it, she didn't know, because he was tired from the photo shoot, he had the day before. _

_The two of them took the house room by room, together, dusting, brushing and vacuuming every surface, until it was sparkling. Sam did all of the high-end cleaning, whilst she did the lower stuff, making work easy as they trudged on. _

_They took a break in the afternoon, for a bite to eat and gather their strength. _

_Seeing as the kitchen was the last place to clean, they ate their lunch there. Looking around, there wasn't much to do, so Mercedes told Sam that she would finish up what little work there was._

_ A jubilant Sam dropped a sloppy kiss on her lips and promptly disappeared. Mercedes smiled at her dorky, but lovable boyfriend and got down to work. _

_About three quarters of an hour later, she dragged her weary body into their room, where the sound of Sam's sweet singing and playing, put a smile on her face. _

_She took out her phone and took a quick shot of her handsome boyfriend, as she stood by the door admiring him. _

_He was sitting in his underwear facing away from her, singing 'Teenage Dream'...her song._

_ She had confided to him a while back, when they first started dating, that she loved that song. The song brought out confidence in her and when she sang it, she felt bold, beautiful and sexy. _

_She couldn't stop herself from joining in even if she wanted to. The minute she started singing with him, he turned to her with a huge smile on his face and an encouraging nod. _

_He stood, met her halfway and stretched out his guitar to her, all the while singing and playing. When she placed her hand on the top, he walked backwards as if escorting her into the room, making her blush. _

_The two sung and danced around each other, making sweet music together. As the song came to an end, Sam placed the guitar on its stand, and gently took her hands in his._

_ For a few seconds, they locked eyes, silently conveying their feelings of deep love and desire for each other. _

_Like a magnet, Sam felt himself drawing closer to her, until his face was inches from hers. He saw her eyes flutter and close, prompting him to place a sweet lingering kiss on her lips. _

_When she opened her eyes, she was caught in a haze of green, rooting her to the spot. A sweet smile blossomed on his face, at her reaction. He placed one more kiss on her lips and mumbled against them, "I love you so much baby." _

The tears that fell that day were none like the ones that were falling now. That day was a happy day. Those tears were happy tears...it seemed like a lifetime ago. Quietly, she kissed the picture on the phone and closed the screen.

* * *

A series of soft knocks on the door, put pause to the melancholia she was feeling, so she wiped her tears and answered the door.

The gang were let in, and they all embraced her. Blaine, the most level-headed of the group spoke to her.

"We came to check out your digs…but to be honest, we heard you…and we felt you. This is by no means an opportunity for a sob fest…I won't hear of it. This visit is to do exactly what we said we were going to do…check out the cottage...and…to get you out for a few hours, to gauge your next move. All of us are with you, every step of the way."

His words brought comfort to her and a sense of normalcy.

Yes, she was hurting, but he was right, she needed to get out, clear her head and decide her next move. She reached for him and placed a kiss on his cheek.

"You're right. I'm not feeling the happiest, but I'll be damned if I sit here and cry forever. I need to get my man back."

A cheer went up with smiles all around.

"There's my diva," Kurt shouted as he embraced his best friend.

Within half an hour, the six friends were piling into another minivan, one that Mercedes hired for the duration of their stay and headed out to enjoy a late brunch.

* * *

Meanwhile, the new day greeted Sam just like all of the other days, since he and Mercedes broke up…dour…a mixed bag of gloomy, dismal and sullen all in one.

This day had a certain edge or a twist to it though. For some reason, he had the strongest urge to call her.

He took up his phone and brought up her contact information, including his favorite photo of her. A small smile appeared as he studied the picture, and he was transported back to the time he took it.

_Sam and Mercedes were getting ready to go out to a late-night party with their long-time friends from their old high school. _

_After trying on numerous outfits for hours, Mercedes finally found the one she wanted to wear. _

_It was a kind of theme party, where the ladies had to dress up as fierce, wild and sexy sirens…in other words, every straight guy's and lesbian's fantasy woman. The men got to wear what they wanted, the only rule was, they had to look dressy._

_ As usual, Sam was the first to get ready. He decided to leave the room so that Mercedes could get ready in peace._

_ After waiting for about an hour for her and checking his watch multiple times, he decided to go back upstairs to their room and see what was keeping her. _

_He wasn't ready for the sight before him. _

_Mercedes was clad in what Sam would describe as his greatest fantasy and greatest nightmare all rolled into one. _

_"Dear God! Do you intend to kill me tonight woman?" _

_Hearing Sam's declaration and subsequent question, she turned to face him. Sporting a fierce look, her short stature, now a few inches taller, courtesy of the four inch, black, thick soled, strap heels she was wearing, she was every bit the siren she was aspiring to be, blue toe nails and all. _

_Her dress was mixed patterned, with the most prominent colors being, yellow, black and orange. It had long sleeves that allowed her fingers to be on show, with extra fabric hanging well past the length of the dress, covering the inside of her palms. Her ample cleavage was showing, compliments of the deep vee and the 'rip' on the left side of the dress allowed for a healthy amount of her pretty leg and thigh to be on show. Her hair was parted in the middle, wavy, with blue highlights on each side at the front, and it was left to hang around her shoulders. _

_After a couple of seconds, Sam caught himself and whipped out his phone to take a picture of her. A smile enveloped her face as she looked at her sweet boyfriend. _

_All at once, a predatory look masked Sam's features, akin to someone or something on the prowl, as he slinked his way towards her. _

_Mercedes knew that look better than anyone. She held up her hand, the long sleeve dangling in front of her, and as calmly as she could, she said, _

_"Sam, we're already late baby…and I don't want to mess up my outfit." _

_He stopped right in front of her, his darkened eyes told her he was barely holding it together. In a low, dangerous tone, he told her,_

_ "Okay, you win babe, but the minute we step back through these doors, you are mine…and another thing, no one, but me dances with you at this party…not even Kurt." _

* * *

Sam came out of his thoughts, to hear his phone ringing and vibrating in his hand. He looked at the number, not recognizing it, but throwing caution to the wind, he answered.

On the other end, Puck's voice came through loud and clear.

"What up Evans? I see you went to the CMA's and conquered man." A smile automatically appeared on Sam's face.

"Hey Puck. Long time no hear. Yeah, I did my thing man." Puck laughed. He was genuinely happy for his friend.

"Congrats on the two wins buddy. You deserve it." His words warmed Sam.

"Thank you. I appreciate your kind words…and it feels good, considering…"

A lump suddenly appeared in his throat. He swallowed hard trying to cover up the slight tremor in his voice.

Puck knew what or rather who, he was referring to right away. He, like the others believed that Sam and Mercedes belonged to each other and although he was a womanizer, he never encouraged Sam to look elsewhere.

"Hey man, good news. I'm in town and I'm headed your way. We're going out tonight…I'm not taking no for an answer." Sam started to protest.

"Look man, I'm not really….." Puck cut him off before he could go any further.

"Remember? I'm not taking no for an answer. No excuses Evans." Sam knew he couldn't win, not when Puck was in the mood he was in.

"Okay. What time?" A smug smile blossomed on Noah Puckerman's face.

"Yeah, that's what I'm talking about. Seven good for you?" Sam didn't have anywhere else to be so he agreed.

"Sure. Seven's good. Any idea where we're going?"

"Uhh…I'm not sure yet, but…I can assure you it will be classy and have lots of music."

"That's fine man. You're welcomed to stop by any time before seven…I'll be here all day." A loud guffaw from Puck echoed down the line.

"Way ahead of you Evans. I'm about five minutes away from your crib, so open up those massive gates and let me in."

The only thing Sam could do, was to laugh and laugh loudly.

* * *

About an hour away, Mercedes and the gang had just ended their fantastic three hour brunch and were idly waiting on their driver to pick them up.

It was decided during brunch, that Mercedes would call Sam that evening and arrange for the two of them to meet.

The others wanted a night on the town, to check out the local nightlife and let loose for a few hours. A while later, they disembarked from the vehicle and made their way into the main house on the property.

Once inside, it was a mad dash for the bathrooms, to ease the strain on their bladders. As everyone finished their activities, they convened in the common living area, to relax for a bit.

"Mercy-me, no pressure, but…are you ready for tonight?" Mercedes turned to Kurt with a smile on her face.

"I'm not sure how ready I'll be, but it's necessary and long overdue." Quinn reached over and softly squeezed her hand. She said,

"You'll do fine Mercy. Just speak from the heart and maintain eye contact."

"Thank you Quinnie, I'll remember that." With no filter at all, Santana blurted,

"And then jump his bones. Make him use those salamander lips to suck on your…"

"Santana!" An embarrassed Mercedes shouted.

"Thank you…I think. I need a few hours to rest…I'm sure you all do too, and then I will call Sam."

She rose from her chair and moved towards the door. With a small wave, she disappeared and left the others with their eyes trained on the Latina.

"What," she asked and continued, "That was the only way for me to get her to leave. We have business to attend to, and she can't know about our plans. I think that tonight is a good night to pay our mutual enemy a visit.

Forget about letting loose on the town, we can always celebrate when Aretha and Fish Lips are reunited and when the hobbit is down for the count. As soon as Wheezy makes contact with Trouty, we leave them to their own devices and head over to Madison, for a little Broadway action."

Everyone was in agreement, even Brittany.

"Ooh, I can't wait to take pictures for Lord Tubbington. He's skiing in the Alps with his new lady friend. If I go to a Broadway show without him and don't take pictures, he will give me the silent treatment."

All eyes snapped to her, except for Santana, who held her head in her hand and shook it.

"Uhm...Brit baby, we won't tell him. I think now would be a good time for you to sort out our outfits for tonight. I'll join you as soon as I'm done here."

As innocent as a wide-eyed child, Brittany asked,

"Ooh, can I please start with our underwear?"

At this point, everyone except for Santana, were desperately trying to hold their laughter in. She walked towards her clueless girlfriend and kindly said,

"Yes you can baby. Now go."

* * *

As soon as Brit disappeared the others completely lost it, even Santana had to laugh. Quinn and Kurt especially. The two ended up clinging to each other, laughing loudly, with tears streaming down their face.

It took a few minutes for all of them to compose themselves, but once they did, it was back to business. Santana held court.

"I know that our plan for the hobbit needs a bit more tweaking, so tonight won't be the night to bring her down. I just want to shake her up a bit. I have an ally, someone who I know needs no motivation to end Ms. Berry. There are others involved…one way or another, and they have relevant information, facts that are vital if our plan is to work. I'm not sure if we'll meet everyone tonight, but I think it's time we all get together and consolidate."

The others were floored.

They knew Santana wasn't one to wait for a fight, she was the type of person who took the fight to you. Quinn spoke up.

"Seems as though you have been thinking about this for a while…and…you have all of your ducks lined up. If you trust these people, I do too."

After that, Blaine and Kurt agreed by saying, "Me too."

They chatted for a while longer and then parted to get a rest before they set out on their adventure.

* * *

Over at the cottage, Mercedes laid on her bed pondering her decision to call Sam. She wasn't about to back out, far from it, she was completely determined to speak to him.

Her only worry was, if he would speak to her.

Promptly, she got up and began to sort out her clothes for the night. There was no use in trying to sleep, it was the furthest thing from her mind.

Feeling good about the outfit she chose, she decided to lay out her curling iron, accessories and everything else she needed for the night. With a spring in her step, she went about her business.

* * *

Around six-thirty in the evening, the gang in the main house were dressed to the nines for their night out.

It was decided that, they wouldn't leave until Mercedes had made contact with Sam and was on her way to meet him. With that in mind, they made their way over to the cottage, to see their friend.

Inside the cottage, Mercedes had just finished making her first call to Sam, but his phone rung off. Hearing a knock, she called out,

"Come in," and the others entered. The look on her face prompted Santana to ask,

"What's wrong Chica?"

"I made a call to Sam, but the phone rung off." Santana moved to stand in front of her, and the others crowded around.

"So, call again," the Latina said. And she did. In the space of twenty minutes, she kept calling and getting the same result.

"Okay, that's enough. Clearly, he's not near his phone or it's turned off," Kurt said. Feeling a little low, Mercedes said,

"Maybe he doesn't want to answer me. Maybe…" She was cut off by Santana saying,

"Maybe smaybe…I don't believe that for one minute. That man loves you and I think he would jump at the chance to talk to you."

Everyone agreed with her.

Quinn made eye contact with Mercedes and kindly said,

"Santana's right. Call him later or early in the morning. Remember, he's not only a recording artist, he's a model. He might be on a shoot as we speak."

Seeing Mercedes' spirits lift a bit, Santana said, "Change of plans guys, we're all going out and we're gonna paint this hillbilly town red."

A cheer went up among them.

Mercedes, at this point, decided to change the outfit she had on, to something more suited for a night on the town. Half an hour later, they were on their way to the next city, Nashville, for a night of fun at the Famous Saloon.

* * *

Meanwhile, Sam and Puck made the best of their afternoon, by hunkering down in Sam's man cave, playing Fortnite and Free Fire for hours.

Sam had switched his phone to silent mode, so that they wouldn't be interrupted. He was still salty with his manager and publicist, and was trying to avoid contact with them for as long as possible.

By six-thirty the two were ready for their night out, but, whilst Sam was in the shower, he missed the first few calls from Mercedes. He hadn't bothered to take the phone off silent mode, so he couldn't hear it.

As he was getting ready, he was singing one of his favorite songs from high-school, 'Human Nature' so when the phone started to vibrate on his bedside table, he didn't hear it. By the time he was fully dressed, he just snatched it up, placed it in his pocket and headed out to meet Puck.

Just before they left, Puck poured two shots of Bourbon and made a toast.

"To our night out. May it be one to remember."

They knocked glasses and swallowed down their drinks in one gulp. As they got into Sam's vehicle, Puck sang,

"I got a feeling, that tonight's gonna be a good night."

Sam laughed at his crazy friend and pulled out into traffic.

* * *

The Mulberry Farm gang, entered Famous Saloon an hour later, to be greeted by wait staff, offering a drink of choice. After making their selections, they moved towards Famous Bar, in awe of the sixty-foot marquee 'Famous Saloon' sign above, illuminating them.

Live music, reached their ears as they headed towards one of the many VIP booths.

The place was pretty packed, but they were still able to see the spotlighted stage.

As their frozen drinks and cocktails arrived, Santana, stepped outside to answer a call. The others, decided to peruse the menu, to see what it offered for dinner.

"This is a very nice spot. We have to thank our driver for recommending this," Blaine said. Kurt threw in,

"I have to be honest, when he suggested that we leave Cornersville and come to Nashville, I was a bit put out. I always thought that if you see one town in this part of the world, you've seen them all."

Mercedes looked at Kurt and burst out laughing. With wide eyes, he asked,

"What? It's true."

"You really need to get out more Kurt. Look, I've been to Nashville before…but…I never got the chance to come here. It was only for a day that time, but I must say, this place is un-believable. It obviously showcases Nashville's top acts, it's clean, the staff seems friendly and the food looks incredible. I'm really glad I got the chance to come."

The others wholeheartedly agreed on her astute observations. Just then, Santana returned with a huge smile on her face. She slid in next to Brit and kissed her right on the lips. She turned to the others with excitement written all over her face and said,

"Tonight is going to be a good night. I can feel it."

* * *

Minutes later, Mercedes excused herself to go to the restroom and Santana took the opportunity to speak to the others.

"Everything is back on guys. We're going to Madison tonight. I got word from one of my people that Trouty is on his way here. In fact, he should be here already. He's probably parking."

The looks on the others' faces were almost comical. Wide eyes and opened mouths, with not one word escaping.

"I told you all before, I gots connections."

* * *

Sam made his way inside the Famous Saloon with Puck in tow. He declined the offer from the wait staff, though Puck didn't, and made his way to Famous Bar.

His eyes turned towards the stage, about to comment on the music to Puck, but was completely drawn to a curvy figure he would know anywhere.

His heart missed a beat. He was sure it couldn't be her. Instinctively, his feet began to move, taking him straight to her.

Before she could reach the booth where her friends were, Mercedes looked up, as if someone willed her to and stopped dead in her tracks.

Behind Sam, Puck had the biggest smile on his face, while he fist pumped the air. Behind Mercedes, the gang too had smiles on their faces, and most had tears in their eyes, as they watched their mutual friends get lost in each other.

Mercedes thought that she was in the twilight zone, the minute she saw Sam. He looked gorgeous. Her feet turned towards him and she came to a stop right in front of him.

Sam, on his part, was trying desperately to silence the voices in his head, that were at this point screaming at him. As he took her in, he couldn't help but to think how beautiful she looked. His first words came out almost as a whisper.

"Hi baby."

Poor Mercedes, all of her senses were heightened and her heart was trying to beat its way out of her chest. Words failed her. She breathed the only words that came to mind,

"Hi Sammy."

* * *

**I know that this is a crappy place to end, but the next chapter will continue where this one left off. This was written mostly in one go, so I really hope it made sense. Much love to you.**

**Song Credit: Breathe Again by Sara Bareilles.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you for your continued support, for this and my other stories. **

**Standard disclaimer.**

* * *

Like any classic Western movie, where two adversaries meet at high noon, for the shootout of their life, all went quiet in Famous Saloon, at least where Sam and Mercedes were concerned.

Everything and everyone around them, went on as usual, but they failed to notice.

Mercedes couldn't see or hear anyone. She completely forgot the others, as her eyes stayed locked onto her favorite shade of green.

She had definitely done something right, because, seeing Sam standing in front of her looking as gorgeous as he did, had to be a reward.

Her legs moved of their own accord and brought her within a few inches of him.

She wanted to kiss him. She wanted to hug him, heck, she wanted to take him right there and then. Her hand drifted out to touch him, but before she could make contact, he grasped it and brought it to his lips.

Sparks flew between the two, and Mercedes was sure she was on fire.

* * *

In Sam's mind, he was trying to quell an on-coming storm. Just seeing her, would usually set his body ablaze, but after not seeing her or touching her for almost a year, every sense in his body stood on the alert.

He held onto her hand, as he brought it from his tingling lips. He never wanted to let it go… let her go, again.

A slow smile blossomed on his full lips, as his eyes remained locked on hers.

Words failed him. They weren't forthcoming at the moment. He knew there were things he wanted to say, she probably did too, but the only thing that he could do was to draw her soft body to his and embrace her.

A soft gasp escaped Mercedes when she felt herself wrapped snugly in Sam's strong arms. He felt good. Really good. This is where she belonged. This was home.

She didn't know she'd started crying, until Sam pulled back and begun to wipe her tears.

* * *

Meanwhile, over at the table, the gang and Puck, sat together and started catching up, leaving the two lovers to re-unite on their own. Currently, they were deep in conversation.

Santana was saying,

"…. Puck and I have been in contact for months. He was the one that told me where the hobbit was living and he's been compiling a big, fat juicy file on her. Tell them Puck."

A huge grin spread across Puck's ruggedly handsome face. He looked at Quinn, who was trying desperately not to stare at him and winked at her. He watched her pretty face flush a different color and his grin blossomed into a smug one. He cleared his throat and said,

"Yep, Satan's right. I've been in Georgia for a while now, at first cleaning pools and doing odd jobs, but now, I'm into something else… but that's another story for  
another time. Anyway, I went all over the place and I got to hear a lot of talk among those stuck-up householders. Man, some of the things I heard, made me blush. But what got me interested, was when I heard Berry's name being mentioned in a phone conversation one day. That girl is a freak. I started snooping around, listening and following some of these people, to see for myself what was happening. I knew Rachel was vindictive and manipulative, but I never knew she was a Grade A slag. When I tell you, she did any and everything possible to get on Broadway, believe me, cause she did. Anything you can think of, she did. I have so many pictures, videos, taped conversations… the works. And multiple copies."

* * *

Everyone at the table sat speechless, except for Santana, who was smiling like the cat that ate the canary. She leaned over and high-fived her counterpart, as the others processed the information.

"Now, I told you guys before, that they are others, and I wasn't going to reveal who they are yet, but for some reason, I think I should."

All eyes turned to Santana, although Puck knew who they were, he too looked at her and waited for the others' reactions.

"Working on the show that Berry is starring in, is Sunshine Corazon. I'm sure you guys remember her."

A collective gasp sounded from the others, but Santana continued.

"She's been my eyes and ears at the show for weeks. Puck saw her there one night and told me, so we linked. She was the real star of the show and the hobbit was her understudy. I don't have to tell you, but that backstabbing bitch, found her niche, by sleeping with the show's producer, and just like that, she became the star. She didn't stop there though. She made sure that someone else, less talented than Sunshine got to be her understudy, while Sunshine got transferred to the wardrobe department."

Anger rolled of Santana as she spoke about some of the things Rachel did. The others sat wide-eyed as everything their friend said sunk in.

"Oh my gaga," Kurt said, placing his head in his hands. Quinn remained quiet, but there was an evil glint in her hazel eyes.

Blaine also remained quiet. Listening to the things Rachel has done, did something to him. He wasn't a violent person, but he could actually see himself doing physical harm to her.

Brittany was a different case altogether. She looked her girlfriend dead in the eyes and said,

"I just received a telepathic message from Lord Tubbington. He told me to slap that bitch called Rachel for him. He's still mad at her for breaking up Sam and Mercy."

* * *

This brought everything into perspective.

Santana turned to said couple, seeing Sam wiping Mercedes' face and his tenderness floored her. She turned back to the others and said,

"I need to tell you who the others are, before we lose sight of things. They're Sam's parents."

Wide eyes and loud gasps were the order of the night. The only person who wasn't shocked, was Puck.

"Dwight and Mary knows everything. They know what has been going on with Mercedes, courtesy of me… of course… and… they have been keeping close tabs on their son. They don't pry, but they chat with him almost every day and he confides in them. I've known that Sam has been miserable and single, since he and Mercedes separated. They know all about the hobbit, through Puck… he's been filling them in and they have copies of everything."

"Speaking of which, I need to call tell them and let them know the plan worked. Their son is back with the love of his life," Puck said.

He presently excused himself, to make the call and Santana used that opportunity to go over to Sam and Mercedes. She approached cautiously, with a kind smile on her face.

* * *

The presence of their mutual friend, brought the couple back to reality. They remained standing close together, Mercedes with a watery smile and Sam with a happy one.

"Yo Trouty, what's up?"

"Hey Santana," he replied. She turned to Mercedes and said,

"Hola Chica. I hope those were happy tears. You've got your guy back. It's time to celebrate."

She pulled her into a hearty hug, rocking from side to side. She was genuinely happy for her. She released her and placed a gentle kiss on her chubby cheeks. She turned to Sam and also pulled him into a hug.

"I'm happy for the both of you. She missed you every day," she whispered to him.

On releasing Sam, she placed a hand on each of their shoulders and said,

"I think it would be best if the two of you find a nice, quiet place and catch up. This place is too noisy and distracting. No to mention, someone in here might get a bit ambitious and snap a few photos. News rags pay top dollar for those and I might have to go all Lima Heights Adjacent on their asses."

This brought a chuckle from both Sam and Mercedes. She was right. The two of them were celebrities in their own right and it wouldn't do to draw un-wanted attention to themselves.

"You're right. Thank you, San."

"No problemo Chica. Now, get out of here. Puck is good with us. I think he and our ice queen are going to be at it, as soon as they get each other alone. You guys should do the same."

With that she turned away and started walking back to the others. Before she got to the table, she shouted back, "_Get_ some Wheezy. He's looking all sorts of fine."

* * *

Mercedes and Sam stood speechless, staring at each other and trying desperately not to laugh. Seconds later they both lost the battle and laughed heartily.

"That girl. I just can't with her. It's a good thing I love her."

Hearing her say those three sacred words about Santana, sobered him. It got his thoughts going, wondering if she still loved him.

_'I guess I will find out soon,' _he internally said. Quietly, he asked,

"Would you like to get out of here?" With a little nod, she replied,

"Yeah, sure. We could go back to my place… um… I mean, the place where I'm staying, or, wherever you want… to."

Sam was suddenly turned on by her cute rambling. He wanted to cut her off with a kiss, but felt it was too soon, plus, he still didn't know where things stood between them.

"I don't have a preference. Anywhere that you feel comfortable being, is fine with me… but, my place is just a few minutes away from here, so…"

She smiled.

This was her Sam. He always deferred to her and always made her feel as though she was the most important person in his life. Inside, she berated herself.

_'God! I was such a fool. How could I have doubted him… and believed Rachel.' _

"That settles it. Let's go to your place."

At that, Sam shifted for her to lead off and fell into step behind her.

As they neared the table where the others were, Mercedes was surprised to see it empty. She instead headed to the door and quietly stepped out into the cool night air.

Warmth flooded her when she felt Sam's large hand on the small of her back. She couldn't help the shiver either. If she had looked up, she would have seen the huge smile plastered on his face.

"This way," Sam softly said, pointing to his truck.

As they neared, he used his free hand to press and unlock the doors of his massive Ford Super Duty f450 Platinum truck, but kept his other hand in place, on her back, right above her generous behind.

* * *

Mercedes was impressed, but at the same time, it was so Sam. He was a southern guy, born and bred and definitely at heart.

He walked her to the passenger side and gently helped her in. In a flash, he was in the driver's side, reaching over and clipping her seatbelt for her.

Her soft "Thank you," drew his eyes to hers and that's when he saw it. She still loved him. It was there, shining brightly and mirroring his. His heart skipped a beat and a lump suddenly appeared in his throat. He couldn't trust himself to speak after that revelation, so he nodded instead.

A deep inhale and a slow exhale later, saw him buckling his own seatbelt and driving off.

* * *

On the road, they drove in silence for a while.

About halfway to his place, Sam decided to break the ice.

"I was so surprised to see you tonight. I didn't expect that at all, but I welcomed it."

A small smile played on Mercedes' lips. She realized in that moment, that she'd missed his voice. She chose her words wisely.

"Yeah. Um… our driver recommended this place. I've never been before, so I wanted to see what he was going on about. I'm not disappointed. I'm glad I came… but… it was only as an afterthought… kind of."

Sam's ears pricked at her comment. He took a quick glance in her direction, and at the same time, she looked in his.

"Oh. You didn't plan on coming here tonight?"

A slight nervousness attacked Mercedes. She had to come clean, plus, she wanted to know why he didn't answer her calls earlier.

She looked through the glass at the other vehicle lights, whizzing past them, and for a few seconds, she got lost in her surroundings. Sam's voice brought her out of it.

"Merce, are you alright?" The concern in his voice, caused her to turn and look at him. His features mirrored it.

"Sorry, I disappeared there for a bit, but I'm back now. Um… well… earlier, I tried calling you… to see if you were available, so that we could meet… and talk. But you didn't answer, so I decided to come out with the gang instead. We were going to go somewhere closer to where we're staying, in Cornersville, but our driver told us about this place. It's only about an hour away from our place, so we decided to take him up on his suggestion."

Sam was reeling from her revelation. He had so many questions, but he didn't want to overwhelm her.

"I'm sorry, but I can't remember hearing my phone ring. I've been home all day and Puck was there, but I can't recall hearing my phone."

"Oh, that's a mystery, but I called, for a really long time. When was the last time you looked at your phone, or used it?"

Sam pondered her question and then it all came back to him.

"Did you call anytime around late afternoon or after?" Mercedes nodded her head.

"Yes. I think it was a little after six this evening. Why?"

"Um… my publicist and my manager are in my bad books at the moment and I've been avoiding them. When Puck arrived, I muted my phone. We camped out in the games room playing for most of the day, so I never checked it. Later this evening, I just got ready and left without checking it or turning on the sound again. I'm so sorry Mercedes. I didn't do it on purpose."

* * *

The sincerity in his voice gripped Mercedes like a vise and warmed her like an electric blanket.

She reached over the console and gently patted his leg. It was meant to assuage him, to let him know there were no hard feelings. It was also something that she was accustomed doing, and as innocent as it was, they both got a reaction from it.

The minute she touched him, she felt desire pooling in her stomach, as for Sam, he was way passed desire. There was lust, which was evident in his eyes, had she looked at him, but also ignited within him, was passion and need.

"It's okay Sam. I believe you. Think of it as water under the bridge. You're here… I'm here, so…"

She left the statement hanging, noting a sweet smile on his face and that he was pulling onto a huge property with massive gates.

Lights automatically came on and lit the driveway, right up to a three-car garage.

She sat in awe, as the middle door lifted and Sam brought the truck in. He turned to her and quietly said, "We're here."

* * *

Excitement, wonder and a host of other emotions crowded her mind. The feel of her seatbelt loosening around her, brought her attention to him.

She waited patiently until he came around to her side and opened the door. Helping her out, was completely different to helping her in. Instead of waiting for her to make an attempt at climbing down, he lifted her out.

A soft gasp escaped her lips, as she felt herself being hoisted from the seat. She started to scold him. "Sam, I'm too hea…"

She was out and standing in front of him, with his arms loosely holding her hips, before she could finish speaking.

Her eyes rose to meet his and for a few seconds, she lost herself in the reality of how gorgeous he is. He was the most beautiful man she has ever met, although her bestie Kurt would dispute that. She held his pretty, intense green eyes captive with her brown ones, as every dormant feeling inside of her rose to the surface, completely overwhelming her.

She was so gone, she didn't even realize that, she had lifted up onto her toes and met him in a deep, passionate kiss. Although all of her senses were alive and teeming, she maintained control, and relaxed into the kiss.

* * *

Sam too, was trying desperately to hold onto to his sanity.

He allowed the kiss to remain un-hurried and enjoyed the way that she melted into him, losing herself as she did so.

After a while, the kiss broke and the two stood wordlessly staring into each other's eyes.

A vibration in his pants pocket, just as her phone rang, broke the trance, they were both in. Smiles blossomed on their faces and a slight awkwardness ensued. They both reached for their phones and simultaneously said, "Go ahead."

After a brief laugh, they turned to their phones and answered.

* * *

Puck and the gang were almost in Madison. They were heading right for the Mark C Smith Concert Hall, to surprise their mutual enemy.

On the way, Puck was saying to the others,

"I hope my boy Sam and Hot Mama don't waste any time rehashing old memories. What's done is done. It's time to leave that shit in the past, where it belongs and burn up some sheets."

"Exactly what I was thinking. They need it, because Wheezy's sweet-hole and Trouty's jack-hammer hasn't seen any action, since they broke up. There need to be some serious drilling tonight, so that she can't walk properly for a few days," Santana threw in.

The others in the vehicle were mortified, while Santana and Puck fist-bumped each other, with huge smiles on their faces.

Quinn, Kurt and Blaine, shared an embarrassed look among themselves. But, honestly, they were all rooting for their friends to just put all of the stuff from a year ago behind them and move on, together.

An idea popped into Santana's head and she voiced it.

"You know what? I'm going to call Aretha and remind her to climb all over Trouty's six-foot plus frame, and rub that big booty on his man snake."

A naughty smile spread over Noah Puckerman's face. He whipped out his phone and said,

"Good idea. I'll call Evans and tell him to get his cowboy gear ready. It's time for him to saddle up, buckle up and enjoy the ride."

"Dear God! What is wrong with the two of you? Sam and Mercedes are not like you two. I know that they were apart and eventually they are going to… you know… rekindle the physical side of their relationship, but if I know Mercy, and I do, she will want to talk and clear the air before they get to that part," Kurt ranted.

Quinn second it by saying, "Exactly!" Santana remained un-daunted, so did Puck.

"I don't doubt you Lady Hummel, but I'm still going to call her and remind her, anyway."

At that, the two dialed their mutual friends respectively and spewed their advice, much to the horror of the others, except for Brittany, who was on her phone texting, probably to her overweight cat.

* * *

Back at Sam's place, the two had just ended their calls, with the devil and his wife, respectively. They were left standing speechless with flushed faces, and an awkward tension in the air.

Sam rubbed the back of his neck nervously, and exhaled audibly. Puck's call had placed a ton of pressure on him. He couldn't get the thoughts or the images out of his head. He was barely holding on to his sanity.

He tried not to look at the object of his desire too much, or too long, otherwise he might lose control and take her where she stood. Kindly, he gestured for her to follow him, because, if he took one look at her magnificent ass, he would snap. And she would be in deep trouble.

He needed to allow them both a chance to air out their grievances and start with a clean slate.

God! He wanted her. He was actually beginning to feel physical pain from his need to be with her. Inside his house, he led her to the living room and kindly asked,

"Can I get you anything? Soda, water, coffee?"

* * *

Mercedes' mind was still stuck on the phone conversation with Santana.

She was right.

Sam was looking especially fine. His jeans fitted him as though they were made for him and now that he had removed his jacket, his shirt clung to his sculpted body like a second skin.

She was salivating, she could feel it.

She wanted him. She wanted him for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and if possible, to snack on, in-between meals.

The fog cleared at the sound of his sexy voice, and she had to repress a groan, that was just about ready to escape her.

"Um… water… cold if you have it. Thanks."

"Okay, I'll be right back. Make yourself at home."

With that, he disappeared, leaving a flustered Mercedes wondering what to do with herself.

* * *

Sam presently returned with the water and quietly asked,

"Would you like to take a look around? It's not like ours, back… in… New York."

His voice faltered when he said ours, but he realized his mistake too late. Looking at her sad face, he decided to put what was on his mind out there, and hoped for the best.

"Merce, I need to tell you something. First off, I didn't mean to make you sad just now. I still believe that we belong together, that's why it's so easy to say 'ours'. I know a year has passed, but I've never even thought of moving on, not without my heart. The day I gave it to you, it was for keeps, because I have no intention of being with anyone else.

I still think of New York as my home, because, it's where you are and wherever you are, I want to be. I love you so much, always have and always will. I made a mistake when I left and not a day goes by that I don't blame myself for not trying hard enough... to keep us together.

The day I bought this house, I cried. And the day I moved in, I cried also, because, this wasn't something I envisioned doing alone. This should have been a joint decision, made by you and me. It took me a month, before I started to warm up to this place and even now, I still don't feel like I'm home.

The bottom line is, I love you like crazy and if it's possible, I would like to put all of the madness that happened a year ago behind us and move on… together. I don't care about any of that stuff that happened. I care about you."

* * *

Mercedes was in tears by the end of Sam's heartfelt speech.

This is what she wanted.

The last year was a disaster without him and her heart felt full, just hearing him declare that he still loved her.

Her feet felt as though they were about to give out from under her. She wasn't surprise when Sam's strong arms come around her to hold her up.

She buried her face in his chest and sobbed her heart out. And he let her.

After a while, he held her at arm's length, and wiped her tear-stained face. His soft kiss to her forehead, calmed her and he saw her visibly relax, and composed herself.

He lifted her chin, to gaze into her eyes, and hold them at ransom. As he looked down into her up-turned face, he couldn't stop himself from leaning down and softly kissing her lips. It brought a smile to her face and one to his.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yes. I am. This evening, when you didn't answer your phone, I thought the worst. I thought that you didn't want to hear me and that you'd move on. Quinn and the others said you hadn't and they were convinced that you still loved me. They were right.

The craziness of the last year taught me many things. The ones that came through loud and clear, were the ones I needed to embrace as part of my life.

Back then, I allowed Rachel to manipulate me and take advantage of my kindness. I should have believed you. But I didn't. You didn't deserve that. We've been through so much together and I threw all of that away when I chose to take her word over yours. For that, I'm truly sorry.

You spoke about me having your heart, and I do, but you also have mine and the keys to it. I love you so much Sam Evans and it physically hurt, not being with you this past year, but, I am willing to let all of that go and move on with you. I…"

* * *

She was cut off mid -sentence, by his lips crashing down on hers, in a toe-curling kiss.

As his lips skillfully move over hers, his hands took on a life of their own, roving all over her back and bum. Within seconds, the kiss went from passionate to hungry.

Every pent-up emotion from the past year went into that kiss, and it turned fiery. It seemed as though they couldn't get enough of each other.

Sam's long arms came up from her bum and wound around her plump body, to tightly lock off beneath the pits of her arms, as he devoured her mouth.

Mercedes was on her toes at this point, craning her neck to match Sam's actions. She didn't even register that he had lifted her, walked her to the nearest table and sat her on it.

When she did, her surprise was short-lived, because at the moment, Sam left her lips and attacked her neck. A soft moan escaped her lips as he nipped and sucked on a sensitive spot, close to her ears.

His warm breath tickled her, sending shivers through her body, when he whispered, "Much better. A crick in the neck is a pain in the butt."

Her giggle was like music to his ears, but it also put pause to what was happening between them. He pulled back from his ministrations and looked directly into her passion-filled eyes, saying,

"Um… I think we got a bit carried away just now… but… I don't regret it. Actually, I want more, but, I think we should take tonight, to figure out where we go from here. I can work from anywhere…when it comes to modeling, because most of my shoots are done outside of the States. However, my singing career might be a bit more technical, but as I say, let's take tonight and maybe tomorrow, to hash everything out and see what we come up with. If I have to move heaven and earth to be with you, I will."

Mercedes looked at the beautiful man standing between her hanging legs and fell for him some more. _'This is my Sam,' _she mused.

She reached her hand up and gently caressed his handsome face as she held his green eyes captive.

"How did I get so lucky? You are one of a kind Sam Evans and I'm so happy that we got a second chance to make wrong things right. I love you and just like you, I'll do whatever it takes for us to be together. Now, with that being said, we will talk, but right now, I want to feel my man's sweet lips on mine."

A huge smile lit up Sam's perfect features, as he leaned in and claimed her lips in a deep kiss.

* * *

**I hope it was worth the read. We are getting close to Rachel's comeuppance, however, I'm still tossing around some ideas as to how I'm going to go about it.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey, thank you for your continued support, for this and my other Samcedes stories, and a big thank you to those who wished me well or had me in their thoughts. I know that this was promised a few days ago, but I'm just beginning to feel well again. Thank God for that. Anyway, on to the chapter. It's a bit long, but the story will soon be coming to an end.**

**I do not own Glee or the characters.**

* * *

All the way to Madison, the gang tossed around ideas about the best time to take down Rachel Berry.

"Tonight, is the shake-up. The calm before the storm. It's to let her know that we're in town and Samcedes is reunited again," Santana said.

"Yes, we need to rub that in her face. And show her, true love always wins out," Kurt threw in.

"I can't wait to burst her bubble. Mr and Mrs. Evans doesn't really want us to, they merely want us to humble her, by showing her the evidence and running her out of town. But, they don't have to know the extent of our plans. That bitch needs to know the world doesn't revolve around her," Santana spat.

Presently, they pulled up to the concert hall, and quietly made their way in.

* * *

Puck was the man of the hour.

He moved to the front of the gang and spoke to the attendant there. About a minute later, they were shown inside, where they decided to sit, closest to the changing rooms backstage.

Rachel was on stage.

It took Brittany, Puck and Quinn to silently restrain Santana from rounding the stage and going for her.

"We'll have our chance. Sit tight," Quinn said.

They watched as she moved across the stage, belting out her beloved show-tunes, much to the excitement of the audience. As the final scene ended, the actors flooded the stage, to take a bow, and the gang decided to make their move.

* * *

Going backstage, was as easy as entering the venue.

Santana whipped out her phone and called her willing partner, Sunshine, who instructed them, on where to find Rachel's dressing room, subsequently, meeting them at the door.

After greeting the gang, she allowed them to enter the room. Kurt took her hand and said,

"Thank you for doing this Sunshine. You didn't have to and you could probably get in trouble for it…"

"No thanks necessary. She almost made me lost my life, when she sent me to that crack house. I had to do it. She doesn't care whose life she destroys, as long as she gets what she wants. And, I'm not worried about getting into trouble. She deserves what's coming to her."

Just then, Rachel's annoying voice sounded in the hallway, outside of her dressing room. Everyone went quiet, as they patiently waited for her arrival.

"Sunshine! Where the heck are you? I don't know…"

She was at a loss for words, when she entered, and saw the others. Her faced colored. She looked flustered and a bit scared.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. Her voice sounded shaky.

The invasion of her old-time friends really threw her.

Santana stepped forward, prompting Brittany and Puck to do the same. Quinn walked to the door, which was still ajar, and quietly closed it, turning the lock also. She sensibly remained there, so that no one, meaning Rachel, could get out.

"This is a free country. We can go wherever we want, and right now, we want to be here," Santana snarled.

"I…I mean…I…know that, but I didn't expect you to be here…in Madison," she stuttered.

A small smile grew on Santana's face. She had her right where she wanted her.

* * *

"Well, hobbit, if you must know, we came to these little hill-billy towns on a mission of love, Sam and Mercedes' love."

She paused, waiting for the other girl's reaction. It came. She was unnerved and looked like a fish out of water.

"Oh," was her only answer. Santana went on.

"You may have managed to break them apart, with your scheming, conniving ways…add jealous to that, but it's never too late, where true love is concerned. They are back together and hopefully, Trouty is marking every inch of space with her. I wouldn't be surprised if she becomes pregnant, on their very first go at it."

"Good for them. Did you come all of this way to tell me that?" she asked, trying to sound as normal as she could.

"Yes, but there is more. We know all about you, about the things that you have been doing out here, just to get through."

That caught her attention. With a straight face, she said,

"I don't know what you're talking about. You've obviously been misinformed. I have worked my way from the bottom, liked anyone else. The producers of the show can spot talent a mile away and they spotted me."

"Is that why Sunshine is no longer the lead, but your attendant?"

Her eyes immediately found Sunshine's, she almost forgot that she should be in the room. She couldn't answer. She momentarily lowered her head in embarrassment.

"I thought so," Santana said. "Watch yourself Berry, we'll be seeing you. Sooner than you think," she finished, heading to the door.

One by one, the others started to follow her. Just as Kurt was passing Rachel, he said to her,

"Me, you and Mercedes used to be good friends. We had the best sleepovers. What happened to you? Huh Rachel? I can't seem to wrap my head around this person you've become. You disgust me."

With that, he turned away from her and followed his true friends. Rachel was left shaking like a leaf in a storm. The look in Kurt's eyes unsettled her. It was a look of finality. He was done… with her. She turned hurt eyes to Sunshine and quietly said,

"You can go. I need to be alone."

* * *

Sunshine didn't wait. She rushed from the room, trying to catch the others, before they exited the building. She caught them by the door.

"That was awesome. She was properly chastised. Whatever else you guys need me to do, I'm here for it."

"Thank you, Sunshine, as a matter-of-fact, there's something you can do," Santana said.

They stood around for a bit, discussing the plans they had for Ms. Berry. After a while, they decided to head back to Nashville, back to Famous Saloon, to have some fun.

* * *

On the way there, everyone seemed to be lost in their individual thoughts. Quinn and Puck were seated together, in the front seats, Blaine and Kurt were in the middle, leaving Santana and Brittany, in the back.

After a while, Puck made a bold move and lightly grasped Quinn's hand, bringing it into his lap. He shyly eyed her, gauging her reaction. Seeing the smile on her face, he released the breath he didn't know he was holding, and softly kissed her hand.

Their moment was unintentionally shattered, by Santana saying,

"As soon as we get back to Mulberry Farm, I'm putting the first nail in her coffin."

Her grave tone drew the others in and they all agreed. After that, there was silence again.

About an hour later, they pulled up to the Famous Saloon, and headed in, to pick up where they left off.

* * *

Meanwhile, over at Sam's place, he and Mercedes had laid all of their cards on the table, where their lives were concerned and had just decided to call it quits for the night, promising to pick it up the next day.

The one thing they agreed on, was, they were definitely going to be living together, in the same house, whether it was in New York or Tennessee.

At first, they were leaning towards New York, more so than Nashville, seeing as it was central for most of Mercedes' work, but if anyone asked her, she wanted to stay in Nashville.

She loved the house.

There was so much space and the property was huge. That meant, for all intents and purposes, that it would be easy to add on a studio, for the both of them, so that they develop their craft.

The more she thought about it, the more she wanted to leave New York and its fast-paced life, and settle in the quiet country life of Nashville, Tennessee.

* * *

Sam was currently in the kitchen making sandwiches for them.

The sound of her soft footfalls coming towards him, caused him to turn with a smile on his face. She shyly entered, and he beckoned her over.

"What's up," he asked.

"I came to see if you needed any help."

"I'm glad you did, but, I'm almost done. If you want, you can take the drinks from the fridge, get two glasses from the cupboard and set them on the table. I'll be right out."

She nodded and proceeded to do as he said, until it came to getting the glasses from the cupboards. She couldn't reach. She was just about to ask him to get them, when she felt him come behind her and took them down.

"Thank you," she softly said.

He smiled at her reaction and gently placed a kiss on her cheek, as he moved away.

* * *

Minutes later, they were seated at the table, eating and chatting animatedly. Her phone beeped, alerting her to a possible message, but she ignored it.

The subject landed on the CMA's, and Sam went silent. He knew that she had seen him with another woman on his arm. As if reading his mind, she gently placed her hand on his and kindly said,

"I know she was a prop Sam. It hurt and I didn't like it, but, I know how these things are. Is that why you are at odds with your publicist and manager?"

He met her brown eyes with his green ones, holding her gaze, as he honestly spoke to her.

"Yes. They knew how I felt about attending with anyone else but you, but all they could think about, was, my image and the message I would be sending to my fans. At the last minute, I agreed, more so to stop the massive headache that was sure to come, had I argued any longer. I ditched her early, because I wasn't comfortable with her.

The highlight of the evening, was when I won, but it was also bittersweet…you weren't there to share it with me. I breezed through the after-party. I couldn't wait to get out of there and back here…"

"I'm so sorry you had to endure that. But I'm really glad that you won. You deserve it. It was my own stupid fault that I wasn't there. I just thought that it'd be best if I stayed away."

The conversation was quickly turning their night into a downer, but Sam decided to put an end to it.

"It's all water under the bridge Mercy. We're here… together and nothing will ever tear us apart, again."

He rose from his chair, came around to hers and lifted her chin, to look directly into her warm eyes. "I love you."

At that, he leaned in and placed a soft lingering kiss on her plump lips. When he pulled back, a smile was on her pretty face, automatically bringing one to his.

"There's my smile," he said.

Just then, her phone beeped again. He looked at her, inclined his head and said,

"You should get that. Could be something important. I'm just gonna clear these things away and then I'll be right back."

He pecked her lips once again and moved to take the things to the kitchen.

* * *

While he was gone, Mercedes took the opportunity to catch up on her messages. She quickly scanned through them, deleting as she went, all, except one.

She couldn't believe it. How had she missed that one? Tears flowed silently as she watched the short video, with a message attached to it.

She was a mess, but a good mess.

Sam's voice came through loud and clear, as he rendered his heartfelt thanks and dedication of his win, to his M.J…. to her. She sat playing and replaying it, until Sam emerged from the kitchen looking at her with deep concern in his eyes.

He rushed to her and earnestly asked her,

"What's wrong Mercedes? Is it bad news?"

She shook her head from side to side, her silent indication of no and started to wipe the tears from her eyes. She looked at the beautiful man in front of her and her heart swelled with love for him. If it's possible, she loved him more in that moment than ever before.

"You're scaring me Merce. What's wrong?" She held his handsome face in her hands and laid a passionate kiss on him. She caught him by surprise, but he soon got into it.

After a while. She pulled back and said to him,

"I'm fine Sam. Those were happy tears and you brought them on. I just saw your speech… the last part of it…" Relief flooded him and his face colored.

"I meant every word. I just wanted you to know...that I still loved you and thanked you for the impact you made on my life. I was…"

* * *

His words were cut off by her lips attacking his.

This kiss was different. It was hot and needy.

He stood, bringing her up with him, never once breaking the kiss, as he turned their bodies and backed her towards his room.

* * *

Inside his room, clothes flew everywhere as they continued to kiss and tease each other.

Who undressed who, no one knows, but in a matter of seconds, they were both in their underwear, kissing deeply.

Sam had her pinned against the wall, slightly elevated, with his hard body pressed to her soft one.

In one swift move, he lifted her higher and wrapped her thick legs around him, making sure that her heated core, was resting directly on top of his bulging manhood.

His hips automatically took on a life of their own, grinding roughly into hers, at an almost feverish speed.

A soft moan escaped her, adding more fuel to Sam's already raging fire. His moist lips latched onto one of her pebbled nipples, drawing it deeply into his mouth, causing her to buck wildly against him.

Her reaction drove him batty.

He released the nipple he was feasting on, to lay his head on her chest, panting like a thirsty runner who'd just run a marathon.

"I'm so crazy for you baby…I can't wait any longer." He lifted his eyes to hers, looking directly into them. Her subtle nod and passion filled eyes gave him the green light to move them towards his bed.

* * *

The second her back touched the mattress, her underwear was snatched from her body and thrown in an unknown destination. His followed shortly, but was still intact, as opposed to hers.

The predatory gleam in his eyes, unknowingly caused her to shiver, but, she was ready for anything he threw her way.

She watched as he prowled his way towards her, and her eyes dropped to his hardened penis, which seemed to be pointing the way forward.

Wordlessly, he hovered over her, his eyes and hers, now locked, carrying on a silent conversation. Presently, she parted her legs and he found his way between them.

The hard poke from the tip of his penis, sent a delicious feeling through her, making her crave more. She slowly moved her hand down, between their joined bodies, and grasp his more than average, engorged manhood.

The hiss that came from his plump lips, fanned the flames of her already raging fire.

His hips jerked forward, at the first pump, making him stab her in the lower part of her tummy.

Liking the control she had over him, she continued to pump him, at a painfully slow rate.

* * *

Poor Sam, he was so far gone, he didn't know what to do with himself. He couldn't control his hips, his mouth, heck his whole body.

The drought was finally coming to an end.

The last time he was in a situation like this, was with this very woman, more than a year ago, before he left for his photo-shoot.

He tried to think of something else, but it just wasn't happening, as she continued to drive him wild.

He threw his head back, his eyes closing automatically, as a low groan escaped him. He bit his lip, almost painfully as his eyes went back to hers. There was a naughty twinkle in them, and right then and there, he decided he was going to make her pay.

* * *

As much as he needed to bury his painfully hard penis into her and thrust non-stop, until he saw stars, he was going to hold off…for a little bit.

He grabbed her hand, pulling it from 'little Sam' and placed it along with the other, on either side of her head, pinning them there.

He attached his mouth to hers, completely conquering it, as he controlled the pace and depth of the kiss. His mouth traveled to her jaw next, making his way down to her neck.

He stayed there for a while, enjoying himself and the sounds she was making. He could feel the desperation coming from her, and it made him smile. He had her exactly where he wanted her.

His downward trek continued, right to her breasts, where he pulled one of the hardened nipples into his warm mouth, sucking greedily. His ministrations continued on both breasts for a while, but, the moment he decided to kiss and lave the undersides, things changed.

That action drove her wild. And he knew it. He knew exactly what to do to get her riled, to the point of begging.

He felt her trying to wrestle her hands from where he had them pinned, but he kept the pressure on them, holding her in place. With one last lick, then a soft kiss and finally a tiny nip to her left breast, he moved on to her soft round tummy, planting wet, open-mouthed kisses all over it.

It was then, that he heard it. She was begging.

"Sam…please…Oh God!... babe…I need you."

* * *

A wolfish smile blossomed on Sam's face, for a beat. He pretended as if he hadn't heard, as he slowly made his way back up her quivering body.

Stretching full length on her pliant body was the deal-breaker. Before he could lower his lips to hers, he was roughly thrown backwards, and mounted by his impatient girlfriend.

* * *

Mercedes was at her breaking point. She'd had enough of Sam's teasing. With super-human strength, she pushed him on his back and climbed onto him, impaling herself on his thick penis.

The short surprise on his handsome face would be comical any other time, but as of right now, she was all about business.

Her first movements were sloppy and out of sync, but after a few seconds, she found her rhythm and rode him, as if her life depended on it.

Sam, amazed as he was, allowed her to set the pace, enjoying himself along the way.

His huge hands went from her beasts to her hips, holding them in place, while she moved up and down his shaft. Sounds punctuated the quiet room, bouncing off the walls, adding more fuel to the inferno within.

"I've missed you…so much baby…missed this," he panted.

Her terse reply of "Me too, babe," drew his eyes to her darkened orbs, and the way she looked in that moment.

Her hair was wildly strewn about her shoulders, her lips looked swollen and there was a light sheen of sweat on her brow…to sum it up, she looked sexy as hell.

His grip on her hips tightened as he thrusted up into her willing body. The force of it, had her bouncing up and down, and each time she came down, she was met with a powerful thrust.

A couple minutes later, he flipped them, reversing their positions, as they remained joined together. This time, he decided to go with slow, deep, long strokes, knowing it would drive her crazy.

He hadn't forgotten about his earlier plan, and thought that this was the precise time to put it into action.

He dropped his hips completely, reaching his long arms under hers, and gripping her shoulders as tightly as he could.

His actions changed slightly. He quickened his pace, but his strokes remained deep.

He felt her lift her legs higher, drawing him deeper and it almost undid him. His lips went to her neck, leaving kisses and bites all over it.

Her head began to thrash from side to side, the first signs of her coming apart. He could feel her sweet-hole pulling and clenching him, as if it was trying to milk him and his movements sped up even more.

He released one shoulder, and brought that hand under her generous bum, lifting it to meet his hard thrusts.

"Oh God! Sam…Oh…"

"You like that baby?"

"Yes…so good."

Her reply drove him on.

His hips went into overdrive. His thrusts got harder, faster and deeper…searching…for something he has been missing.

He could feel her getting closer, as her legs began to shake and her nails dug deeper into his skin.

At this point Sam knew he wasn't going to last.

His plans were completely abandoned, as he tunneled into her soaked body. His hand moved from under her bum, gripping her leg, widening it as much as he could, all the while, driving into her.

"Look at me Mercedes," he ground out. And she did. Tears were in his pretty green eyes and it floored her. "I don't want us to ever be apart again. Do you hear me. Never…again. You belong to me…always and forever."

At her tearful nod, he shifted and lifted himself a bit, pulling out of her, and making her whine. He reached for a pillow, roughly lifted her bum, and placed it under her.

He grabbed both of her legs, pushed them towards her chest and re-entered her.

He showed her no mercy, as he drove deeply into her. Everything and every emotion, that was held in for the last year, came pouring out of him. He felt alive, for the first time in a long while...just being with the woman he loved.

Once again, he could feel her tightening around him and it propelled him to go, faster, deeper and harder.

All of a sudden, she was shattering beneath him. His movements sped up even more, if that's possible, as her sweet-hole drew him in, drawing out his release.

The impact was significant.

The sound that came from him, can only be described as primal, as her body milked him of everything he had.

Within seconds, Mercedes was experiencing another orgasm, almost as powerful as the first, because of the pulsing sensation coming from Sam's still firm penis, buried inside of her.

* * *

Minutes later, they lay in a sweaty heap, entwined and panting, allowing their breathing to slowly return to normal.

A few minutes more went by, and they remained in the same position, this time, with her running her hand through his sweaty locks and him playing with the fingers on her free hand.

* * *

After a while, he lifted up, looked into her warm eyes and softly kissed her lips.

He rolled off of her, removed the pillow, and asked,

"Are you okay? I didn't hurt you, did I?" Entranced by his concern, she reached for him, brought him to lay in her arms and said,

"I'm fine Sam…and no, you didn't hurt me. I might be a bit sore later, but that's it." A relieved sigh escaped him.

"Okay, that's good…not the sore part…I mean…"

"Shhh. I know what you mean, babe. I'm fine. Bath salts and some warm water…and I'll be good as new. This is nothing new, so don't worry."

"Okay. I love you…so much, Mercedes and I meant what I said before."

"I know. I feel the same way. I love you baby. This is a new chapter in our lives. Like we agreed, the past stays in the past…we're not going to be tied to it, or held accountable for it."

"You're right. Let's get some shut-eye."

A bathroom break and a few soft pecks later, saw the reunited couple settling down to a much-needed sleep.

* * *

Meanwhile, the gang raised the roof of Famous Saloon, like never before and afterwards, decided to call it a night.

On the way back to Mulberry Lavender Farm, Quinn and Puck were constantly being teased by a tipsy Santana.

Earlier in the bar, the two had been extremely close and even turned up a bit of heat on the dance floor. Santana had a running bet of two hundred dollars, with Blaine and Kurt, predicting that Quinn would be 'dicked' down by Puck, the moment they got back to the B&B.

Right now, she was on course to win the money, because, Puck was all over Quinn, who seemed to be enjoying every ounce of his ministrations.

* * *

Presently, they pulled up to the Farm, exited and made their way inside.

Each couple branched off to their respective rooms, but, not before Santana got in her two cent's worth.

"Peoples, we're all adults here. The Klaines are going to be blowing each other's backs out, Brittana…that's me and Britt are going to be scissoring all night and we all know that you two…Quick will be putting those mattress springs to the test. I just hope that Trouty has Wheezy's shape imprinted in his bed. I will collect my money in the morning. Let's go Britt. Happy fuc…."

She was abruptly cut off by the others shouting,

"Satan, Tana and Santana," simultaneously, as Brittany dragged her away.

* * *

Much later that morning, Santana was the first one to stir.

She grabbed her computer and went to the kitchen. She quickly pulled up Rachel Berry's blog, listening to her last post. The nasal voice of Ms. Berry caused her to roll her eyes in a disgusted manner, but she continued to listen.

_'Hello world, this is Rachel B Berry and this is hashtag...Broadway Life. First, thank you to my two million followers, for believing in me and seeing the star in me. A star deserves to shine and I intend to for a long time. It feels good to be at the top and with such great following, there's no way my haters will see me fall. Before I log off, here are the photos from my last two performances. Enjoy and keep calm…Rachel Barbara Berry is making waves….' _

If Santana didn't want her laptop, she would've smashed it into the ground. She was that pissed off. To calm herself, she made a pot of coffee, quietly sat down, and started the process of putting their plans into action.

* * *

A little over an hour later, she sat with a pleased expression on her pretty face.

"That Hobbit won't know what hit her…the others are going to be so proud of me." With that, she raised her mug in a non-existent toast, and sipped her coffee.

* * *

In Madison, hours later, Rachel Berry had just logged on to her blogger's account, to extol her virtues for her beloved followers.

As usual, she started with the customary,

_'Hello world, this is Rachel B Berry…' _

Right there and then, her voice continued across the social media divide, but she was not speaking. She couldn't understand what was going on and she was powerless to stop it.

She tried in vain to stop the feed, she even tried logging off, but it was all to no avail. She watched and listened in horror as 'her' voice went around the world saying,

_'I am the biggest whore ever. I've slept with men and women to get where I am today. None of them meant anything to me. There were just stepping stones on my way up the ladder. Some of them weren't even that good, but I'm a great actress and it pays to stroke an ego here and there. You, my followers, are some of the bravest and nicest people out there. I don't like myself…but you do. Kudos to you. Before I log off, here are some of my best shots. Enjoy and keep calm…Rachel Barbara Berry is making waves.'_

The shock was almost too much for her to bear.

She looked on helplessly, as photos of her, and some of her conquests, meet up for their secret rendezvous. Some were of her making out with them, before they entered the hide-away and some were of her, naked, on her knees getting all manner of things done to her, or of her doing all manner of things to them.

The last one threw her.

It was a short video, accompanied by audio, of her, bound in a contraption resembling a guillotine, with her small rump exposed, being sodomized by another woman, whose face was blocked out, to keep her identity safe.

A host of emotions ran rampant through her lithe body. Horror, hurt, fear and anger took up residence within her.

She flew from in front of her laptop and ran straight to her bathroom, where she emptied what little she had in her frail stomach, into the toilet.

Minutes later, she threw herself across her bed and cried her heart out.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello friends, this is the final installment for this story. Thank you for your continued support. **

**Standard disclaimer**

* * *

Four months after Sam and Mercedes reunited in his home state of Tennessee, the couple were settled there and enjoying life to the best of their abilities.

Their careers were still hectic and as anticipated, there were separations, but no more than a couple weeks at a time.

They had their managers, publicists and other important people, work together to come up with schedules that worked best for the two of them, and everything seemed to be working out, as planned.

* * *

Work started on their vast property, for a new studio, which was due to be completed in the following months.

Currently, Sam was away on a model shoot, in New York and Mercedes was scheduled to join him, a few days later.

She has been feeling a bit out-of-sorts recently, and Sam almost cancelled his shoot, to stay home with her.

After a day or two of reassuring him she would visit the doctor if she felt any worse, he decided to go ahead with the shoot.

Relief flooded her then, because she knew exactly what was wrong with her, but she wanted to keep it under wraps for a bit. Guilt also flooded her, she and Sam had sworn to never keep secrets, and here she was, keeping one of the biggest secrets ever, from him.

As of now, she was in one of the spare rooms, directly across from her and Sam's room, pondering her next move.

* * *

In the two days he'd gone, she busied herself decorating that room and adding things to accentuate it.

It took her a night to finish painting it the way she'd envisioned and today, the curtains she'd ordered two weeks before, was scheduled to arrive.

Excitement was in the air around her.

Her thoughts went to Sam's handsome face and she smiled automatically.

As she folded the three-step ladder away, she shuddered, knowing she had to be very careful when climbing.

Her hand went to her stomach and she sighed. Her life had changed completely over the last four months. She had Sam back and now, there would be an addition.

She thought about work, things will have to change, but knowing she had Sam, his wonderful family and their friends behind her, she knows it will all work out.

She could just imagine what Santana will say,

_'I'm surprised it took Fish Lips this long. I thought it would've happened the first night you two got back together.' _

Mercedes giggled to herself.

Since that first night, Sam has acted as if he can't get enough of her. He took her on mornings when he awoke, during the day if they were home, at night and in-between. And sometimes in his truck when they went for long evening drives.

He was insatiable. His appetite for her was huge...his words, "A year apart does this to a guy, baby."

She's lost count of the many warm water baths and long soaks she's had to take since they've been back together. But she enjoys it, every time. He is the love of her life and nothing or no one, is going to change that.

* * *

Her thoughts drifted to the Evans' next.

They were the epitome of a great family and what future in-laws should be.

They lovingly embraced her, as if the last year had never happened, telling her they'd never lost hope of her and their son rekindling their relationship.

In their many conversations, Dwight and Mary admitted to her and Sam, about their constant contact with Santana and about their small part in bringing Rachel Berry down.

* * *

Thoughts of her former friend came to mind then and once again, she grew angry with herself for letting Rachel break Sam and her apart.

There was a time when Rachel seemed to care about her and she genuinely cared for her in return.

Back in high school, Mercedes, Santana, Tina and Rachel, teamed together to help Mr. Schuester propose to Miss Pillsbury. They banded together to sing _'The First Time_ _Ever I Saw Your Face,' _and it was then, Rachel's caring side showed.

Mercedes recalls the moment her feelings for Sam completely overwhelmed her, causing her to abandon the other three and run to the bathroom in tears.

Rachel's words echoed loudly that day. She can still hear them.

_'Hey, I think you just need to take it slow okay…and listen to your heart. Maybe the spark with Sam is still there.' _

The genuine concern on her face that day, stayed with Mercedes for a long time.

* * *

Her phone beeped right at that moment, breaking her out of her thoughts. She knew who it was right away. She went to her phone picked it up and smiled at the handsome creature that was all hers.

Opening the message, she smiled wider.

_'Hi there, my sexy chocolate pocket-sized diva. I hope you're okay. I miss you. I'm on a set with some very beautiful women…but none of them compares to you. I miss waking up next to you…and other stuff. I can't wait to see you. Take care of yourself baby, until you're here with me…then, that'll be my job…a job I will never get tired of doing. I love you Mercedes…forever and for eternity…Sam.'_

Tears welled in Mercedes' eyes as she re-read his sweet message.

A beep sounded again, and she quickly opened the message. This time it was photos of him. One was of him making a funny face, another with a sad face and the last with him making a kissy face.

She giggled at his silliness.

_'Sam Evans, you know exactly what to say to make me emotional and weepy and you counter that, by knowing exactly what to do to make me laugh.' _

She typed out a simple message and sent it to him.

_'Hey, my sexy green-eyed guy, I can't wait to see you too. Two more days and then I'll be with you. I love you more…you're my forever and ever, in this life and the next.' _

She didn't receive an answer, but she knew he was working and might've been called away.

She gathered herself together and turned away to finish her tasks.

* * *

Later that night, as she readied herself for bed, her phone rang. Santana's voice came over the line.

"Hey future Evans. What's up?"

"Hi Santana. I was just getting ready to hit the sack."

"Are you sick?" Mercedes blanched at the question, but kept her voice controlled.

"No. Sam's over there, remember? Plus, I had a long day…"

"Oh, yeah. Trouty is doing a photo-shoot. When are you gonna be here? Me and the guys can't wait to see you."

"Me either, although, it's only been a few months."

"Yeah and we talk regularly, but it's not quite the same, is it?"

"No, it isn't. I miss you guys a lot, but I'll be there in two days. And I need one of you to come pick me up."

"Sure, I'm game. I can't wait to catch up and hang with you, but how come...?"

"If Sam comes for me, he might create a spectacle. You know how he is, and I don't want any annoying paparazzi fishing around."

"Gotcha. Let Fish Lips knows he can't have you all to himself when you get here, okay?" Mercedes laughed.

"San, when are you gonna stop calling my man those awful names?"

"He loves them, can't you tell? He never gets mad…well…anymore. Anyway, think of them as terms of endearments." Mercedes laughed again.

"If you say so. You guys should call him or go over to the apartment. You do know you guys are welcomed there, don't you?"

"Course. And yes, I'll round up the gang and try to meet up with him. If not, we'll wait until you come over."

"Okay, no problem. So, what's new?"

"Well, our ice queen and Puck are exclusive…I think he's ready to settle down. They're having conversations about where to call home…with him in Madison or here in New York. Either way, Puck is in it for the long haul…and Quinn is extremely happy, much happier than before, so it's all good."

"I'm so happy for them. Quinn has been through a lot. She deserves to be happy. What about you and Kurt?"

"Lady Hummel is fine. He and Bowtie Slick are on top of the world, as usual and me and Britt are doing great."

"I'm truly happy for all of you and now, I really can't wait to see you all."

"Well, get your beauty rest, tonight and tomorrow night, knowing you'll be with people who love you, the day after that."

"I can't wait…San, what happened to Rachel? Seems as though she's disappeared. I heard Sunshine Corazon is the lead in that show she used to star in."

* * *

Santana paused for a beat and smiled widely, as she thought up the best way to tell Mercedes about her arch nemesis.

"Uh…I think she's flying under the radar…"

"What does that mean?"

"She…uh…she doesn't do Broadway anymore." Santana was being very vague, but Mercedes pressed on.

"How come?"

"Since that stuff I told you about came out…the one you still haven't checked out…she disappeared from the local acting scene."

"Oh, that clip with her poisoning the social airwaves?"

"The very one."

"I'm not sure I want to see or hear it. Sam has and it's the first time I've ever seen him rejoice about someone's downfall…"

"Good for him. She deserves everything she got and then some. I heard she was called in to work the next day, because she was contracted, and while she was on stage, someone started booing. I don't have to tell you what happened after that."

"Oh. That's so sad. You know, you've never admitted having anything to do with it. The Evans' say they were involved, but only minimal…"

"Yeah. They had nothing to do with what happened to that Hobbit."

"Did you?"

"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't."

"San…"

"Wheezy? Don't be concerned for her and who did what to her. Just concentrate on yours' and Trouty's happiness."

"But…"

"No buts, Chica. Forget about Berry and her drama. We have other things to think about."

"Like what?"

"Like…if any of those hags modelling with your man, thinks they can get all up on him, they're gonna rue the day they did."

"San, I trust Sam…"

"I know you do. Me too. I just don't trust them."

"Okay, now you've given me something to really think about."

"Just so you know, I have my razors sharpened and my knuckles are cracked for any action." Mercedes giggled.

"Girl, you're crazy, you know that?"

"It's one of my many traits." Mercedes yawned and Santana said, "You sound tired. Go to bed, we will talk soon."

"Goodnight San. It's always nice hearing you."

"Yeah, you too. I'll see you in two days, Chica."

"Okay. Bye."

After hanging up, Mercedes got into bed and shot Sam a quick text, telling him among other things, Santana was going to pick her up from the airport.

She noticed he'd answered her from earlier and left a heart emoji.

She looked at his handsome face on her screen again and settled in for a well-deserved night rest.

* * *

By the time she was ready to leave for New York, Mercedes had completed the room and felt extremely pleased about it. She just hoped that Sam wouldn't be mad about not sharing the experience with her.

She rubbed her tummy and smiled.

She was happy and knowing she would see her love in a few hours, made her even happier.

She couldn't wait to see him.

* * *

Meanwhile, on the set, Sam was feeling a bit off.

One of the models was constantly flirting with him and making not so subtle movements all over him.

He maintained his distance, but somehow, she was placed with him to do a few poses, including a romantic one, so he kept his thoughts focused on the woman he loved, to ward off the girl's actions.

He even spoke about Mercedes aloud, but the model, Penny, just didn't get it.

Before he did the poses with her, he decided to put his case to the film manager, who promised to speak to her about it and assured Sam, Penny was a professional and knew how to behave.

A few minutes into the shoot, Sam begun to relax. Penny seemed to be behaving herself.

The last pose came up, the romantic one and for some reason, Sam felt nervous. He did everything he was told to do, so did Penny.

In the pose, Sam had to hold her from behind, with his head leaned forwards to look right into her eyes. Penny had to stand with her head turned sideways towards him, with her hands covering his.

* * *

As the photographer snapped away, Sam's thoughts went comical, to say the least.

_'No ass whatsoever. No curves, no nothing. It's like I'm holding a man…or a cardboard cutout. God! I can't wait for this to end…hmm…a real woman will be in my arms tonight…my woman…' _

He was broken from his thoughts, by Penny's lips on his and he immediately released her and started to swipe at his mouth.

"What the hell?"

Anger coated his features and he stormed off.

Behind him, he could hear the set manager scolding Penny about her unprofessional behavior.

The photographer ran after Sam and stopped him. Sam whirled on him, with fire in his green eyes.

"I told him. I told him what she was about. It'll be a cold day in hell if I ever do a one on one shoot with her again."

The photographer lifted his hands in defense. Sam was a top male model and their crew was lucky to have him. He could do so much better, but he was a very loyal guy. They were the ones who gave him his first break and he decided to stick with them.

"I don't blame you, Sam. She's a loose cannon. For some reason she seems taken with you, although she knows you're involved with someone else."

"Well, she'd better forget about me. For one hot minute there, I felt the need to smack her, but I've never laid a hand on a female like that and I never will."

"I'll personally see she's moved to another set…or fired."

Sam deflated a bit.

Thoughts of what happened with Rachel a year ago and how it affected his and Mercedes' relationship was forefront in his mind, but he didn't want Penny to lose her job.

"Look, if she does her job the professional way and stays the hell away from me, I'll be fine with that. There's no need for her to lose her job."

"You are a stand-up guy Sam Evans. Anyone else would want her gone. I'll see it's done."

He patted Sam's shoulder and turned away to speak to the set manager, while Sam paced for a few minutes, talking to himself, as a way of calming down, before he went back on set.

Mercedes' pretty face flashed before him and he smiled instantly and felt the tension start to leave his body.

A few minutes later, he returned and about half an hour later, he was done for the day.

Like a bullet out of a gun, he dashed from the set, saying hasty goodbyes, with one person on his mind.

An hour later, he was settled in their first home, making preparations for his night with his beautiful girlfriend.

* * *

Mercedes came out of the airport and spotted Santana waiting for her.

After a few hugs, the two women headed for Santana's car and got in.

"How was your flight?"

"Wonderful!"

"Good. You look great and you're glowing…you've always had beautiful skin, but it looks radiant. Have you been using new products?"

A flash of panic graced Mercedes' face for a moment, but she schooled her features and replied,

"No, nothing new. I'm just happy…that's all."

"Hmm. Yes, you are…"

She took a quick glance in her friend's direction, then turned away just as fast.

"I'm not gonna ask, because I don't want to put you in an awkward position, just know, I'm extremely delighted for you."

Tears stung her eyes as she allowed Santana's words to sink in. She reached over and gently squeezed her hand, appreciating the great friend she was.

"Thank you, San. You're the best."

"Aww…I know I am." Mercedes giggled and playfully swatted her hand. "So, are you ready to see Fish Lips? I bet he's ready to see you."

She waggled her eyes and smirked. Mercedes rolled her eyes.

"Course I'm ready. I miss him."

"Tell him to go easy on you tonight…we want you up on your feet…"

"Santana!"

"What? We both know Trouty is gonna tap that tonight. That man can't keep his humongous hands off you."

Mercedes placed her head in her hands and shook it from side to side.

"If I could get you one thing, it'd be a filter, for that mouth of yours."

"Why?"

"So, you'd be more polished and less crude."

"Then, that won't be me. I'd be…Quinn." Mercedes laughed.

"We can't have that at all, can we? There can only be one Quinn...and one Santana."

"Got that right. Seriously though, Chica, I'm really happy that you and Sam are in a good place. You two make an awesome couple."

Her words warmed Mercedes from her toes right up to her heart.

"Thank you, San. I wouldn't be here without you and the others. You guys are forever friends and I feel blessed to have you in my corner."

"It's all good and the feelings are mutual."

* * *

They pulled up to Mercedes' and Sam's apartment and found him on the outside, anxiously waiting.

A huge smile blossomed on his face when he spotted Mercedes and automatically, one bloomed on hers. As soon as her seatbelt was off, he helped her from the car, into his arms.

His lips met hers in a sweet, lazy kiss and then Mercedes found herself in his strong arms again.

"I'm so happy to see you, baby," Sam mumbled into her neck.

"I missed you too, babe."

"Ahem," Santana said and then, "I hate to break up this happy reunion, seeing as you've been apart for four whole days…but, I need some help getting her baggage inside. Then you two can…"

"San…" Mercedes said, cutting her off.

"What? I was only going to say, then you guys can be alone to catch up. Honest." The look on her face said otherwise.

"Okay, let me and Sam help you take them in," Mercedes replied.

"No. Me and Fish Lips can handle it…I mean…look at the muscles on him. He needs to warm up, so he can lift your fine ass later…"

Sam's face colored and Mercedes blushed. She shook her head, released a soft giggle and went through the door.

"Must you be so…?"

"Yes. I can't help it. And you know it's true. You're gonna lift her against the wall, lift her onto the table, lift her…"

"I get it. And she's my woman, so I'll lift her any damn where I choose. Go and do your own lifting."

"Trust me, I will. All night long and early in the morning."

Sam shook his head and smirked. He took the heaviest bags and followed his girl inside, with Santana in tow.

* * *

A while later, Sam had Mercedes flat on her back, as he drilled her into the mattress.

His intense darkened orbs held hers captive, so that she couldn't look away even if she wanted to.

She accepted his ministrations and tried desperately to hold on, so she could reach that special moment with him.

He was making it impossible to do so, as he pummeled her sweet spot over and over.

The moment his actions began to get erratic, she whispered to him, "Together, baby."

His silent answer and the way he threw his hips into his movements, told her he'd understood. His grip on her hands, which were on either side of her head, tightened, and he drove harder.

A few minutes later, both cried out, as they reached their peak, together. They held tightly onto each other, both trembling, as they rode out their sweet release and allowed their breathing to return to normal.

* * *

Minutes later, Sam rolled off her and gently brought her into the circle of his arms.

After a few soft kisses to her forehead, he said,

"We're definitely getting better at this." A playful jab to his side and a snort, from Mercedes made him turn to look at her. "You don't agree with me?"

"I do…but, you don't have to be so smug about it." He laughed.

"Okay. How should I be about it, then?" She kissed his nose and he smiled.

"You shouldn't be anyway about it, just…" A horrified gasp escaped Sam, making her stop. But the playful look in his eyes told her he was being overly dramatic.

"I can't believe you, baby. This is the one thing between us, that we can brag about to each other. If we were to be the stars in an adult film…"

"Stop right there, Sam Evans. I'll never star in one and if I ever find out that you're even thinking about being in one, your bony ass is grass…and I'm the lawn-mower."

Sam laughed.

He couldn't contain himself. He laughed so hard, he ended up on the floor, naked as the day he was born.

* * *

After a while, he got back on the bed and looked at his girlfriend, who was trying to sport a no-nonsense look on her pretty face, with her arms crossed.

Once again, Sam couldn't help but to laugh.

"Okay, my pocket-sized warrior. I hear you…loud and clear."

He moved closer to her then, and planted a sweet, lingering kiss to her lips, and she smiled.

* * *

Later, as they were getting ready for bed, Mercedes said,

"Sam, I need to talk to you, it's important."

Sam got into bed and gestured for her to do the same. He scanned her features and saw that she was serious. His heart began to race, as he waited for her to open up to him.

"As you know," she started, "I have been feeling a little out of sorts lately…" She raised her hand to stop the question on his lips.

"I'm not sick. I'm fine. It's just a little bug that'll be with me for the next nine months…actually seven..."

She left her statement hanging and studied his face.

Sam was about to ask her what kind of bug would plague someone for months, when the wheels in his head began to turn. He sat up straighter and froze her in a green stare.

"You're…?"

She smiled and nodded.

His face broke into a grin, as he moved closer and embraced her for what seemed like minutes, but in fact, only seconds. A sniff and a wet feeling on her shoulder, told her it had sunk in.

She gently pulled back and held his face in her hands, wiping his tears with her thumbs.

"I hope those are happy tears, babe."

He nodded and gave her a watery smile. She kissed his nose for the second time that night, something she loved doing.

"Are you really happy?" she asked. He found his voice and said,

"Extremely. I never thought this day would come, so soon."

"Me either. Are you ready to be a dad?"

"So ready, baby. I'm ready for anything, as long as you're with me. I love you so much and I already love him or her…or they."

Mercedes' eyes widened at his words.

She hadn't taken in the fact that Sam had twin siblings and the possibility was there…she could be carrying twins.

"We have a great support system. I'm sure everyone will chip in and give us a hand, so don't panic," he said.

"You are absolutely right, Mr. Evans." He smiled.

"That's another thing we need to talk about…you becoming Mrs. Evans," he said, with the biggest smile on his face.

* * *

**That's it for this story. I'm hoping to do an epilogue, but I'm still very busy. Until the next update, which will be Camping Out...Much love to you and yours.**


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